That Strange Square Dance
by Goggled Monkey
Summary: One would never foresee a brainless Slytherin and a brainy Ravenclaw becoming friends. Unfortunately for Goyle that’s exactly what’s happened. Now he’s forced to come to terms with the fact he's fallen for Cho Chang. Of course some people aren't happy.


AN/ I'm glad you decided to give this fic a try. Hope ya like. This is, I suppose my response to the odd coupling fics. It started as a small ficlet but really kinda grew out of hand. There is some slash in this fic but it's hardly the main focus. The main idea was to give some of lesser-known characters of HP (Mainly the Slytherins, Goyle especially) some personality. This means there's no Slytherin bashing and Goyle, Draco, Crabbe, Blaise and Pansy are not written as "evil". And obviously Cho is going to be a main character too. Ok, I think that's all the info anyone wants to hear before a story. 

Couplings: Mainly Gregory Goyle/Cho Chang, Draco/Harry (slight), and Hermione/Ron (virtually non-existent.) 

Thanks to: Catalyst for Betaing N stuff. Bugging me to post. Mocking me. Well, no, not the last one.   
and of course even though this was beta read all the grammer/spelling mistakes are mine. Unless they are really weird and then you can blame the spellcheck. That thing is evil. 

Warnings: None really. There is some bad language and both F words are used but it's nothing major. 

On to the story, 

Enjoy 

***** 

… and it's so sad   
you're so good and I'm so bad   
but you won't see me wasting the best thing I've ever had.   
And it's such a shame   
that I can't tell you anything.   
You won't hear me still you endear me now...   
- ninedays  


***** 

Gregory Goyle was huge. He was bigger then all his house mates with the exception of his cousin Vincent Crabbe, who was about the same size. He wasn't very bright. He only barley passed any of his tests and only few people got as bad of marks as he did. He would never graduate with honors. In fact, it was quite debatable he would ever graduate at all. Greg was pretty indifferent about it. What did he care if he was too stupid to ever be a good wizard? He was big, like his father. He could hang around with smaller people who liked to yell at him and get him to fight for them. What did he really want with life? Making his own decisions scared him. He'd rather do what people told him to and let all the hard things go away. 

That was how his life had always been anyways. Mostly his mother, at first anyway. She would yell at him and his father to do this and that. 

"Greg, don't sit and stare like a total imbecile boy, go and kill ants or something." "Gregory, why do you have mud all over you? Go clean yourself up, you disgraceful boy." "Gregory, honestly, why do you have to be such and idiot? What god did I displease to get you? Get out of my sight until you're not an embarrassment." 

Those were some of his stronger memories, listening to his mother yell at him or her husband. The other times he would play with his cousin on the Crabbe estate. Around when he was eight, he was introduced to one of his father's coworker's children Draco Malfoy. Draco was a whiny little brat, to say the least, and spent most his time that day telling Greg and Vince what to do. But it was Ok, and didn't bother either of them much. Greg liked it when smart people told him what to do. There were more things to do when you had a smart person in your group. 

For example, Draco showed them how, if you stole the right things from your father's study, you could build a really good tree fort. Over the years, Draco helped Greg find good hiding places for his giant frame where his mothers screaming couldn't reach him. Eventually, when all three of them were accepted into Hogwarts, Draco helped them study for potions test, let them copy his transfiguration homework and remember the little poems to do charms. In return, Vince and Greg made sure that all the people the little blonde pissed off majorly didn't beat him into a bloody pulp. 

This whole system managed to get him to his fifth year when everything changed. The Dark Lord had come back into power. Greg's father left to help him on the summer after forth year. That left only Greg for his mother to yell at and by then he was much too big to hide in the walk-in closet on the third floor. Other things changed at school in the sixth year. There was no one to boss him around anymore. Oh, Draco still went to Hogwarts and sometimes would help him and Vince with class but he had become preoccupied. Greg had, at first, only noticed that the blonde boy wasn't around much but really had no idea why. However, one day, when he had stayed extremely late for supper, he came across Potter and Draco in a deserted hallway. At first, he thought they were fighting and had felt compelled to go and help Draco not get killed. Then he got a better look at what they were doing. There was only one thing that Greg knew of that people did with their mouths on another person's mouth. He had been surprised, at first, but went back to his dorm to figure out what he saw. 

His exact thoughts were very confusing and went something like this: 

* Draco was a boy who liked a boy, so that made him a girl.   
* Potter liked him back and since he was a boy, that would make him a girl.   
* Now since Draco was a girl that liked a girl he became a boy again.   
* Since Potter was a girl who liked a girl he was a boy again too.   


Greg went on thinking like this for a few hours until he tired of it. He figured Draco must know what he was doing so it really wasn't a problem. He also decided that since Draco hadn't told him he liked boys or that he was kissing Potter, he shouldn't tell anybody, not even Vince. Also, he wouldn't tell Draco he knew, so the blonde wouldn't worry about Greg accidentally telling anyone. Satisfied he found the right answer he went to sleep. So all was fine for Draco and his secret but not all that great for Greg. What with dating Potter and spending all his energy pretending he wasn't dating Potter the blonde had no time to spend with Vince and Greg. 

Vince figured out halfway through the year there was no one to boss him around anymore. He gravitated towards Buckworth, a seventh year with short strawberry blonde hair and a short temper. He ran around with a few other Slytherin boys who liked to pick on younger kids, even the ones in their own house. Greg didn't want to be in Buckworth's gang so that basically left Greg alone with no one to talk to. It also left him with no one to tell him what to do. The first week he realized this he got scared and panicked. He bothered Draco when he most obviously wanted to be alone. The blonde screamed for him to go be a big bloody idiot somewhere else. He tried to stay near Vince for a while and bully people with Buckworth but didn't have much fun stealing a stuffed owl from a first year. Then, in one last try, he tried to befriend Blaise. 

Blaise was the fourth boy in the Slytherin six year dorm. He wasn't exactly an evil person and, from what Greg heard, not even on the Dark Lord's side. Mostly he just sat in a corner, angrily glowering or reading or writing. Whenever someone told him to bugger off and stop glowering at nothing he'd glower darker, say something cryptic and jot the disturber's name down on a sheet of parchment. When Greg came over to him though, Blaise said he'd humor the huge boy. He even took half and hour to explain Greg's charms homework. Eventually, Blaise got bored of being social and stuck his nose deep in a book. Greg got the hint and left him alone. And stayed alone. 

Greg got bored very fast. There was only so much he could do with his brains for entertainment. Tripping Gryffindors got old fast. There was no one to play exploding snap with. Greg didn't know the rules to one-person card games. He was too old for toys but began wishing his mother had packed a ball so that he could bounce it. He came up with only one simple form of entertainment. He would eat slowly through a meal, waiting for pretty much all the students to leave the great hall. Then, he would watch their golden plates disappear from view to the kitchen. When he couldn't eat any more he would push his own plate away and watch it go with a pop. 

That's what he was doing one Sunday. He had stayed late as usual in the hall entirely empty of both students and teachers. After a few minutes the golden plates started disappearing in waves from all the tables along with the food. The food around him stayed put since he was still eating. He wondered briefly if he annoyed the house elves by taking so long to eat when they wanted to clean but his brain quickly wandered back to his food. The food never seemed to get cold as he spent half to a whole hour alone in the hall. It never had for as long as Greg had gone to Hogwarts. And, the food was always tasty and filling. Not like at home. His parents didn't own any house elves just one cook and he couldn't make half the meal one of Hogwarts house elves could cook. With that thought in mind he helped himself to another slice of pumpkin pie. Nope cook didn't hold a candle to this baking. Finally, when he couldn't eat any more he pushed his plate out into the middle of the table. It took barely three seconds for the plate to disappear with a loud annoyed 'POP'. Greg sighed and stood up. He had a whole free afternoon without classes and he didn't know where to go. He couldn't sleep the whole afternoon away. He had tried it once but had discovered her couldn't sleep when it was still light out. He grunted and kicked the table unhappily. Maybe he could go outside and look at the lake. Sometimes the giant squid came up and he could throw stones at it. 

He was out of the great hall when he remembered that he couldn't go out to the lake. It was late fall and the lake was forbidden, what with the thin ice and all. He shook his head. He also didn't have a winter cloak on and the squid didn't come up when it was cold. His first plan a bust, Greg wandered up the first staircase he saw keeping his eyes on his feet not watching or careing where he was going. He made his way down two corridors before he stopped to look around. Nothing felt similar at all. His common room was down stairs; The Great Hall was up from that. He scratched his head. Now where was he? He had never been this way before. He walked a ways more until he came to two great purple doors, shut with golden handles. He looked at the plague that adored the nearby wall questionably, reading the indeanted script out carefully. 

"Tanzia Dillpott Memorial Library. Outside of a dog a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read." He smiled again then looked at the plaque thoughtful. The library. He knew Hogwarts had a library. People said they were going there but he had never been there before. He never had a need too. He owned his own school texts and Draco gave him books for essays and stuff. He felt a sudden itch to look inside. What did a library look like? He liked the mystery that surrounded it. He wanted to raise his hand up and open the door but stopped himself. The library wasn't really a place for him. Would they even let him in? He probably wasn't smart enough to be allowed in. Madam Pierce would probably kick him out. That's what he heard she did and if anyone needed to be kicked out, it would be him. No, he wouldn't go in. He sighed and looked at the purple door, itch to go in still in his stomach. Maybe he could stick his head in and see all the books people talked about. One look wouldn't hurt anyone. 

Tiny footsteps came up behind made him panic. He turned startled. He didn't want to anyone to know he had though about going through the purple doors. He felt a thwack as a little person bounced off him and fell to the stone floor. There was a little shout of surprize to go with the girl's little form. Books went every where and Greg guessed she had planed to go into the library. She kept her eyes down picking her books up. He didn't move to help, too nervous to bolt down the hall. When her books were back in her arms, she glared up at him. He was sure he knew her name but he couldn't think of it. She looked familer; she had black hair tucked behind her ears and dark almond shaped eyes that glared up at him. She sized him up for a second with that glare. 

"Watch where you stand, Slytherin." She hissed the name of his house as she pushed past him to the library door. "I don't appreciate walking into big blobby wastes of space." She pushed open the door but before she left his sights into the mysterious library she turned back. "What are you doing at the Library, anyway Goyle? There aren't any picture books you know. Idiot." The door slammed behind her. 

Greg blinked for a second before turning away from the library. He wasn't about to look now. He headed off down a hallway feeling oddly upset. That was why he didn't like anyone outside of his house wasn't it? They were all jerks. He grunted stalking off down a random hall. Who cared though? He eventually got lost, found a room full of snotty paintings and one very old suit of armor that growled when he walked by. By the time he found his way back to his common room it was curfew and he went to his bed. With the lights out he quickly fell asleep, Library and Ravenclaw girl completely forgotten. 

Until the next day. 

******* 

Transfiguring was hard. Greg was sure Professor McGonagall kept giving him dirty looks when his eyes were down. He couldn't turn his basket into a puppy. It didn't even change color. Greg tapped it with his wand, annoyed, and grumpily muttered the words to the spell. The basket turned brown for a second then went back to blue. Greg sighed and put down his wand and looked to see everyone else's baskets. He had transfiguring with the Hufflepuffs. Most of them had something that resembled a puppy. Only a few Hufflepuffs and even fewer Slytherin were struggling with the simple task. Disgruntled, Greg picked his wand up and muttered the spell again. This time the basket wiggled then fell over, completely still. A Hufflepuff girl who had been watching giggled, then _'eeped'_ and turned away when Greg glared at her. She bent her head back over her dog, trying to rid it of a wicker pattern. 

Greg looked over at Draco who was sitting beside him. The blonde's basket was still a basket and Draco seemed to be staring off into space. Greg frowned wondering what was wrong with the other boy. He jabbed the boy hard in the ribs making Draco jump out of his daydream. When he glared at Greg, the boy just pointed to Draco's basket. 

"Oh, right." Draco muttered crossly. He pulled out his wand and hissed out the words. Almost instantly the basket turned into puppy, although its fur was still pink. 

"There." Draco rested his chin on his fist and again stared into space. 

"Um..." Greg tugged on Draco's sleeve. The grey eyes followed Greg's finger to the pink puppy. 

"Bloody..." Draco cursed under his breath scowling. The blonde pulled out his wand letting out a few more words and tapping the puppy lightly. The dog yelped slightly as all his hair grew long and messy across his back and legs, a raven wing color. When it was done the puppy looked like a black mop head. It barked happily and licked Draco's hand. 

"Don't do that." Draco ordered (but not too harshly) the mop before going back to la la land. Greg sighed, realizing he'd wouldn't be getting any help from a love sick Malfoy. He scratched his head wondering why that didn't happen when he said the spell. 

_Duh. Cause you're Greg and Greg's stupid._

Oh, right. He should remember that. Everyone else in the school did. Even the Ravenclaw seeker. He shook his head surprised. He though he forgot about the library. He lifted his wand again and tried to forcefully to say the spell. The basket burped at him but stayed the same shape. 

"You're saying it wrong." A bored voice commented. Greg turned around to see Blaise reading a thick tome. On his desk, Greg was quick to note, his basket had turned into a puppy like everyone else's. Of course, unlike everyone elses, his wasn't cute and friendly looking. His was mean looking. His eyes were a reddish yellow and it had pointed ears like the huge guard dogs they kept at Vince's house. Blaise's puppy snarled at Greg, showing a row of needle like teeth. 

"You have to stop mumbling when you spell cast." Greg looked back at Blaise. The boy had barley switched his gaze from the book hardly acknowledging Greg. Greg leaned forward to hear what the red head had to say. 

"You don't grunt it like a Neanderthal. It's not 'ugh.' It's ooooh." 

"Oooh?" Greg asked. 

Blaise nodded gaze dropping back to his book. Greg turned back to his basket. Oooh? He shrugged doubting Blaise was giving him false information. He tried it tapping his wand to the basket and making an ooooh sound instead of grunting. The effect was instantaneous. The basket morphed but not into a puppy like Draco's. More like a blob of wicker. The bigger part he supposed could be a body and the smaller part a head, maybe. It did squirm across his desk like a living thing but it also looked sad and creepy. He looked back at Blaise for help. Once he caught the red head's eye, Blaise merely waved him off, happy to read his book. Greg turned back to his blob and rolled up his sleeves. Maybe he could...um use the tinkering spell Draco had used to fix his puppies fur. It was a short spell, maybe he could do it. He tried it and a leg seemed to leak out. Ok, so maybe it would take a while. 

He leaned back almost satisfied with fifteen minutes left of class. The blob had four legs, although one leg was shorter then the others. It had a constantly wagging tail and a mouth that opened without sound. He couldn't get it to bark like the other puppies but wasn't sure why. It licked and bit at his wand with little teeth. It still was blue and looked woven out of reeds, not like a real puppy, and had no eyes. Greg decided he'd at least give it eyes so it could see. Like the bark, he couldn't give it fur or change its colour. He closed his eyes and tried to say the spell right. When he opened his eyes the wicker puppy had dark brown eyes that watched him curiously. 

"Hi." Greg grunted. The puppy waged his tail harder and jumped about the table. Greg looked around. Everyone else had put their puppies on the floor to play. Blaise's was in a fight, growling and snapping at a Hufflepuff's. Greg decided he wasn't going to put his puppy on the floor. The other ones might rip him to shreds since he was still reeds. Instead, he let the little basket dog chase after his wand on the desk. Once the puppy got the wand Greg would pull it away and roll it across the table again. 

"Very good, class." McGonagall called, at the end of the lesson. "Please leave your Puppy on the desk so I can mark them." 

As the class poured out, Greg sadly took his wand away from the puppy. It was nice to have someone to play with even if it was just an assignment. He kept his head down while he shuffled after his fellow classmates. He barley noticed when someone latched on to his arm until he dragged them a few feet. He looked at his arm surprised. The Ravenclaw girl was clinging to his robe looking very surprised at her involuntary movement. Greg lowered his shoulder so she could let go flat-footed. She brushed her robes and averted her eyes. 

"What?" Greg grunted, almost inaudible. His palms got sweaty and he felt very nervous. Was he in trouble for trying to go in the library? Or maybe this Ravenclaw was going to do the usual bawl out of how low his intelligence was. That could be it. Whatever it was, Greg wasn't looking forward to it. 

"Look." The girl started unsure. "Goyle, about yesterday. I'm...I'm." She took a breath. "I'm sorry, I called you an idiot. That was uncalled for on my part, especially since I was the one who ran into you." 

Greg looked at her confused for a second. The Ravenclaw was...saying sorry...to him? Since when did any one care about hurting his feelings? They should know by now he didn't have any. She probably was trying to play a prank. Greg scowled. It made sense to find the dumbest Slytherin she could find. Him. He pushed past her with a growl. 

"Why would I care what a short little Ravenclaw says to me?" 

As he followed his classmates he couldn't help but remember her hurt expression. 

****** 

Greg couldn't help feeling guilty and that made him mad. He hated when he felt guilty. It made doing mean things not so much fun. Like when the first year had cried when he took her toy or had made fun of the Hufflepuff's death. Though the horrible hex marks he had to deal with the summer after it helped ease the guilt. Now he felt guilty for hurting the annoying Ravenclaw's feelings. 

"Stupid, stupid Greg." He muttered to himself before looking over at Blaise to make sure his potion partner had not heard him. Greg was crushing snake fangs while Blaise took the task of dropping 23 swallow feathers into the cauldron, one every 3 seconds. Greg didn't mind crushing the teeth but was slightly put out about the Ravenclaw issue. What should he do now? He looked at his red headed partner. 

"Blaise, can I ask you a question?" Greg asked, listening to the crunch of the teeth beneath his pestle. 

"One. Two. Three." Blaise dropped a feather. "One. Maybe. Two. Not. Three." Drop " One. Right. Two. Now. Three." He dropped a feather. Blaise turned his head back to the caldron and counting the seconds between feathers. 

_Right! Idiot Greg!_Blaise had told him to be quite while he counted feathers. Greg sighed and continued grounding until the teeth looked more like grit then teeth. He looked uninterested around the potions classroom. Snape was marching up the aisle, insulting the Gryffindor's, and the occasion Slytherin's, potions. Vince had been partnered with the Gryffindor's Granger and had less to do then Greg. He pushed a newt's eye across his desk while Granger did all the work. Draco and Potter were happily partnered together but pretended to be fighting. Pansy was partnered with the Gryffindor girl whose name was a color. Greg couldn't remember which. Purple was close but not exactly right. He didn't care really. The two girls worked, snapping at each other and looked ready to tear each other's eyes out any second. The caldron of two Gryffindors looked ready to blow any second. What were those two Gryffindors names again? The Irish one and the one who almost always blew up a potion? Greg shook his head. He had a very bad grasp of names. 

"Finished!" Blaise announced satisfied all the feathers out of his hands. "Now, I can talk in a second. Did you finish with the Diamondback teeth?" 

Greg nodded and handed the boy the mortar. Blaise peered at the powder and wrinkled his nose. 

"Not that bad. Ok, I'll put this in and you can stir. Do you remember which way is counter clock wise?" 

Greg grunted, holding his hand out and twirling his fingers. Blaise glowered grabbing Greg's hand and spinning it the other way. 

"This way." 

Greg nodded and grabbed the spoon dipping it in the watery pink potion. 

"Gently!" Blaise commanded. Greg rolled his eyes but slowed his stirring. Blaise dumped in the teeth powder and turned over the hourglass. 

"Stir for two minutes. Now, you may ask you question." 

His question? Oh right, the girl guilt thing. 

"Ok." Greg grumbled, not sure how to put it. "If you made someone mad at you..." He trailed off. 

"I do all the time." Blaise assured counting out newt's eyes. Greg shook his head. 

"No, I mean if you made someone sad at you..." 

"You mean if you made someone sad." Blaise interrupted. Greg nodded. 

"Yeah. If you made someone sad how do you say um..." 

"Sorry?" 

"Yeah." Greg stopped stirring. 

"Don't stop stirring." Blaise ordered. "Why do you want to say sorry?" 

Greg shrugged. 

"Ok, then." 

"So, how do I say I'm sorry?" Greg asked. Saying sorry should make the guilt go away. 

"Try sounding it out phonetically. Ai ma soree" 

It took a second for Greg to get annoyed. He made a fist with the hand not stirring and raised it. 

"Do you want me to squish you like a bug?" Greg growled. He'd do it too. Blaise looked at Greg's fist for a second. 

"No, I wouldn't." 

"Then help me." 

"Find. Send an _'I'm sorry'_ note.'" Blaise checked his potion notes and recounted his newt eyes. 

"A what?" Was Blaise making fun of him again? 

"A note. Dear so and so. I'm sorry for what ever it was I did. Maybe a because. If you want, please forgive me. Sincerely, Greg Goyle. Send it to the person you want via owl and zap, you're done. That's not too hard is it? Stop stirring now." Greg pulled the spoon out of the potion. It didn't sound that hard. He could do that. The Ravenclaw wouldn't be unhappy and he could go back to guilt free boredom. 

"Ok, I'll do that." Greg decided out loud. 

"Good. Help squeeze the newt eyes, would you?" 

***** 

Writing a note was harder then Blaise made it sound. First off Greg couldn't remember the girl's name. He sat on his bed for an hour trying to remember. He thought of asking one of his housemates but then they might want to know why he wanted to know so he decided against it. It wasn't until Draco came back from Quidditch practice that he remembered she played for her house. She was Ravenclaw's seeker. In a few minutes he had a name. It was a good name too, only three letters in one and five in the other. He could spell it right, too. Unfortunately finding out her name was the easy part. He then had to write the note. 

He started with Dear Chang. He ripped that one up. Then Dear Cho. He ripped that one too. He ripped, To Cho, Dear Cho Chang, and To Cho Chang. Finally he settled with just Cho Chang at the top. 

Then he spilt ink all over the parchment. 

Finally, he had the greeting he liked and his inkbottle was far from his note and he couldn't think of any thing to say. 

_'I'm sorry I hurt your feelings'_ sounded pretty dumb, even to Greg but it was the best he could think of. He kind of started to wish he hadn't kicked everyone out of the dorm room. He didn't yell at people usually but when he did most people ran in fear. Except for Vince but he had just asked his cousin to leave and Vince usually did what he was asked. 

Greg sighed and tried to think harder. He couldn't think of any better words that he could spell that didn't make the note sound really, really dumb. 

"Maybe...Cho Chang. You were trying to tell me you were sorry and I was..." Mean or rude? Mean. "And I was mean. I think I made you sad, so I'm sorry." Greg reread his words nodding. Yeah that didn't sound too, too dumb. Still kind of dumb but not that bad and all the words looked spelt right. He smiled slightly. Greg Goyle, He penned at the bottom. He left the parchment for a moment so the ink could dry before he ruined it and carefully capped his inkbottle. He then went in search of a ribbon or string to tie it with. 

He didn't have any in his trunk since he never wrote letters, not even home. Vince had a few but they were all tied together in an untangleable knot. He was sure either Draco or Blaise had some but was pretty sure also that they cursed their trunks so people couldn't poke about them. Finally, Greg just pulled out the shoelace of a boot and went back to the desk. He touched the ink and it seemed dry so he rolled it up and tied it with the shoelace. With that done, he stopped. He didn't own an owl. 

Darn it. He would have to borrow one or go to the owlery and use a school one. He sighed and headed out of the Slytherin house to use a school owl. If he borrowed one he'd have to say what he wanted it for, wouldn't he? Luckily he had an idea where the owlry was because he'd been there before. Still, it took him over an hour to get there because he went up the wrong staircase by mistake. He wasn't that happy when he entered. The note had better be worth the whole stupid trouble. His ears were filled with the sounds of hooting. He approached a low perch filled with three owls. Once he got near they hooted and flew up high and unreachable. 

"Come back! I have a letter to send." 

The owls ignored him hooting to themselves. Greg growled under his breath. He really was not a bird person. Stupid owls. He carefully edged his way over to another perch eyes averted from it staring up wards. When he was a foot away he turned and lunged. He tripped but caught an owl's leg. It hooted angrily and tried to take off. 

"Stop it!" Greg ordered. "All you have to do is take a stupid letter somewhere. That's your job, isn't it?" 

The owl stopped struggling and went limp dangling from Greg's hand. Oh no, he'd killed it. He looked around nervously hoping no one had seen. He dropped the owl on the floor. It popped back up and hooted angrily at him flying back up to the perch. It held its leg out to him. Greg looked on surprised before the owl hooted impatiently at him. 

"Right." Greg hastily went to tie the note on. Apparently he did it too tight and the raptor nipped his hand painfully. He flicked its beck. It tried to take off a finger. Greg pulled his hand back quickly. 

"Look, I'll be more careful just let me tie the letter on, okay?" 

The owl hooted and held its leg out again. Greg tied the note "carefully" on the leg, earning only a slight nip. He stepped back, nursing his hand. 

"Take it to Cho Chang." The owl hooted and flew off. Greg hoped it would deliver the note but he couldn't be sure. He headed out of the owlry slightly satisfied. That should solve that problem. The whole situation would probably sink into the back of his memories and he'd forget it. At least, that's what he figured. 

Greg usually was wrong about things like these though. 

******* 

Greg left Transfiguring with his mind whirling. Class had started off fine, well fine for him. McGonagall had said his basket was much better then his regular standards. That was nice to hear even if she meant (and even he could figure this is what she really meant) that his assignment didn't suck so much as usual. That was good praise for him, so he wasn't really upset. He was confused though about that days lesson. McGonagall has started off with a lecture about Transfiguring and history. That was about the time Greg mind wandered away and he napped. Now somehow he had a whole essay to do on the subject. Greg could easily imagine what a bad mark he'd get on this one. The large boy sighed as he headed towards the staircase that led to the potions class. A sudden tug on his sleeve made him stopped with a frown. He wasn't going to look down. It was going to be that Ravenclaw again, wasn't it? He thought he had solved the stupid problem. What did the girl want now? She was making him think too much and have to worry about people's feelings. It was weird. Finally, with a sigh, he looked down and met dark eyes. She let go of his sleeve and he saw his note in her hand. She smiled for a second then seemed to blink it away as she shuffled her feet. 

"Do you want your shoe lace back?" She asked holding up the object to him. Greg nodded, grabbed it and put it in his pocket. Vince had been wondering why he couldn't tie up his boot. She waited for a moment just looking up at him. She brushed her robes then tucked her hands behind her back. 

"Goyle." She said ultimately. 

"Cho Chang." He replied, not in the exact format. Her name, he thought, sounded better when you said the first and last of it. She rubbed her temples slightly. 

"First off," She started. "I was really surprised to get your note. I didn't think you could do that." 

Something nagged at the back of his brain. Something about the Ravenclaw. What was it? 

"Not," She added, quickly, "That I think you can't write. I meant, as a Slytherin," 

There was something he should remember about this girl. Something sad happened to her. 

"Not, of course, that I think Slytherins are stupid." She looked extremely nervous. 

It happened last...no, wait, two years ago. Hmm, fourth year? 

"I mean...I mean, I don't think you're stupid!" She stuttered "Or well, I do.... But...but...not that much." 

Was it her? Or maybe her friend? Yes, that was it, wasn't it? 

"You see, what I want to say is you don't have to say sorry to me. It's me, who should be sorry. And that thing in the hall, when you got mad..." 

Wait, something was coming to him now. Oh, right. 

"I'm sorry." He grunted out remembering the thing he had been searching his brain for. She frowned. 

"Look." She said, frowning. "You don't have to apologies or any thing. Like I said it was me who started the whole conflict in the first pl....." 

"No," Greg interrupted, "I mean, I'm sorry about your friend. That's why you're upset, right. Still? About the Hufflepuff umm..." Greg couldn't remember his name. 

Cho fell against the wall slightly, stunned. "Cedric. His name was Cedric." She only barley whispered. She slid to the floor then, quite shockingly, burst into tears. Greg eyed her nervously and stepped back. 

"Everyone thinks I was in love with him or something. It wasn't that. He was just a good friend." Cho wiped her eyes but that didn't help more tears fell down her face. 

"And I've been so horrid to people. My friends. Everyone. It's just the things they say." Cho shook her head. "Lee Anne did the whole, 'It's better to have loved and lost, then never have loved at all bit' and I really screamed at her. Now everyone thinks I'm a loose cannon or just show this stupid pity. I hate it." 

Greg put a hand in his pocket searching for a handkerchief. The Ravenclaw was going to get her robe all dirty. He was sure he had one. Cho continued on, still crying and mad at the same time. 

"Cedric was one of my first friends who ever...ever...." She wailed a bit. "Under stood mmmmeeeee." There was a sight pause as she caught her breath. "I could act my self around him." 

Greg smiled, slightly triumph. There it was. He pulled it out. It was nice, white and clean with GG embroidered on a corner. 

"Here." He grunted, pushing it into her hands. She took it staring at it surprised but grateful. She wiped her eyes on it. 

"Thank you. I guess I must sound really stupid blubbering like this. Everyone thinks I should be over him by now. It has been almost two years but I don't care. I miss him." She admitted sadly. "And I'm so stressed. I have to keep my grades up but all I really want to do is curl into a corner and read my days away or just play Quidditch 'til I pass out. Everyone thinks I've lost it and I'm mean to everyone. No one understands." 

Greg had pulled out the shoelace and was knotting it. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to say anything. "Oh." He muttered. Why was she telling him? Shouldn't she find a Ravenclaw to talk to? Greg shrugged to his own question and stayed since he brought up the Hufflepuff and made her cry. She looked up and her tan cheeks reddened. 

"I can't believe I'm telling all this to you. I'm such an imbecile sometimes. I sure you have better thing to do. I should go." She didn't get up but looked very embarrassed. 

"I can listen to you if you want." Greg said suddenly. He would? Well, he did make her cry and if this made her feel better, he should stay. 

"You can?" She looked so shocked. 

"Eh...yes? I can't give advice but I can listen to you talk." Greg looked at the stone floor below him rather then staring at her face. It was probably as usual a dumb suggestion from him. He darted a look at her face. She looked happy. Weird. 

"I'd really like that. It's better to let it all out." 

"Urm...good then." So, she wanted to talk to him? She settled back against the wall, frowning as she stared blankly. 

"I made friends with him in second year. I had to work with him in herbology and he was really good. He asked if he could study with me. I said, ok. It was so easy to make friends with him. Hard to stay friends mind you." The black haired girl twisted the white handkerchief between her fingers. "My house, unfortunately, makes fun of the Hufflepuffs…a lot. Some of the things we say are pretty mean. It's because we think our house the best but sometimes we come off as mean as a Slytherin...um" She covered her face. "Sorry." 

"Why?" 

"Because I insulted your house." 

"Uh...no, because that's true." Everyone in Slytherin made fun of the other houses. 

"Oh." She said, quietly. "Well then, like I said my friends made fun of him but he still wanted to be my friend, so we stayed friends. Then, he got to be the Hogwarts champion like he hoped. I didn't want him to be. I was so worried for him. I didn't tell him. Maybe if I had he wouldn't of...." She trailed off for a few seconds before talking again after wiping her tears. "Well, he was upset at Harry Potter for getting in too, for a while, and I pretended I was but I wasn't really. It wasn't just the fact I liked Harry. He's so nice sometimes...but because I though, g-good at least Cedric isn't going to get hurt... That was awful. I was actually already deciding that Cedric couldn't beat Harry. I was a horrible friend." 

Greg wasn't sure if he should speak up during the girls rambling. He decided not to because he had told her he wouldn't. 

"He got over it like he always does but he was so serious. He was stressed trying to be the best all the time. His dad had wanted him to get into Gryffindor. Anyway Cedric probably felt he had to prove himself he always felt he had to do that. I don't think he's parents were ever happy that he got into Hufflepuff. He always had to try to be the best to prove he wasn't an idiot. I guess I can relate somewhat." She shrugged. 

"Being in Ravenclaw you always have to be the smartest. I think the Hufflepuffs actually have it easy. No one expects them to be the best. Then again, that's probably why they always feel they have to prove themselves..." She took a deep breath before going on with her story. 

"So, he went on and I just sat around and worried about him. When he went against the dragon, I was so afraid I could have fainted. I was so worried either him or Harry would be horribly maimed. Then, I was Cedric's most important person. He told me after the lake it was because I was his best friend and life would be hell with out me." She looked up with an almost happy face. "I told him mine would be too. I kissed him then. I l-l-loved him. He was my friend!" 

She started breathing hard like she was about to be ill. 

"And then...and then Voldemort killed him." 

Greg took a step back quickly like a jump heart thudding. He didn't know many people who would say that name instead of You-Know-Who. It made him uncomfortable. He saw what happened to his dad when he displeased You-Know-Who. She looked up at him black eyes shape. She frowned slightly before shaking her head. 

"Sorry." She said. She rubbed her eyes again. More like she was tired then getting rid of tears. "Ever since then I've felt lonely. I've really missed him. He was my best friend and I just miss the friendship." She looked at him frowning again. He looked blankly back still rather shocked she was telling him this at all. 

"I guess you wouldn't really understand that huh?" 

He let out an angry grunt. He did understand friendship. He wasn't that stupid. He couldn't do spells and stuff but he could see and hear and think. Cho looked up, startled at the sound. 

She winced. 

"I'm sorry, again. I didn't mean to sound like you have no friends." 

Good, because he did. 

"I've seen you with, um, Crabbe a lot so, um..." 

Crabbe? Crabbe...um. _VINCE, you idiot! Vince's last name it Crabbe! You've only known him since you were a baby. Moron! _

Uh, oh. When had names started to slip so easily from his mind like that? Of course, Vince's last name was Crabbe. He lived on the Crabbe estate after all. 

_Draco's last name it Malfoy for future reference, stupid._

"Ya me and Vince been friends since we were little. Though we had to because we're related." Greg thought about it for a moment. They never had been forced to play together though. On the big Crabbe estate they were the only children there and had the run of it. 

"Oh, and Draco too." 

Yeah. The fort made of a desk and armchairs was still standing in the woods outside of Greg's house. 

"Malfoy?" 

"Yeah. Why?" 

The girl opened her mouth to say something then stopped shaking her head. Instead, she clasped her hands and thought for a second furring her brow. 

"I, uh, never knew you were related to Crabbe." She said, finally. Greg felt relived, glad she decided not to say any thing about Draco. She probably didn't like him, like most members of other houses besides Slytherin. He nodded. 

"He's my cousin. His Da is my Mum's brother. We always played with each other as kids." 

"Oh. All my cousins live in other countries or at least no where near my house. My brother is only two, so I never had anyone like that growing up." 

He stood silent not sure what to say. She didn't add any more just sat on the floor. She had stopped crying and the skin around her eyes was red and puffy. Dried trails of tears went down her cheeks. The handkerchief he had loaned her was twisted and wrapped around one of her fingers like a really big cloth ring. She looked up at him thinking, head leaning to the side. 

"What?" He asked nervously. 

"I don't think I've ever heard you say all that much before. Not like this." Greg shrugged his huge shoulders. He didn't like talking much. When he just grunted answers and gave passing insults, no one made him talk to them. It worked well, most of the time. When he stared at the girl thinking how she had made him say stuff in defense she went red. 

"Not that I'd know how you act, usually." She said apologetically. She probably thought he was offended by her last words. She blundered on not knowing he didn't care all that much. "I mean, you weren't in my year. I do talk to people out of my year. Leslie Batch. Jay Unter. Robert Sigh. Hermione Granger. Though she's in Gryffindor. I'm not telling you that because I think you wouldn't know or any thing. I'm just stating a fact that all..." 

Greg's eyes widened as she kept talking then saying she was sorry for something she didn't mean it to sound insulting. He wanted to cover his ears. Instead, he coughed so she would stop. 

"Ok," He said when she did, "I don't say much." That should take care of that. 

"Ok." She relaxed again resting her head against the wall. She breathed in two deep breaths before looking up at him again. She looked better. Her cheeks were red in the healthy way and she didn't look ready to cry. Greg scratched his head wondering what this would look like to people if they saw him in the halls. He frowned. They probably think he had made her cry. 

"Are you done crying and stuff?" He asked 

"Yah, I think so." 

"Ok then, if you feel better, would you stand up? Because if a professor sees you crying on the floor and all, they'll think I did something and I'll get in trouble." 

Her dark eyes widened slightly but she stood up any way. She rested her back against the wall. 

"Um, I'm not sure what to say." She started. "Thank you for listening. You've really made me feel better." She held out her hand to him. "You're a nice guy." Greg took her hand carefully. Her hand looked tiny resting in his palm. She shook his hand gently then released it. "Thanks for listening and not lecturing." 

He shuffled on his feet uncomfortably. She smiled and leaned in. "The proper response is you're welcome. 

"Er... you're welcome." 

"I'm late for class and I guess you are too." She looked past him then to the floor, not looking him quite in the eye. "Um, bye." She hurried off down the hall and Greg watched her go silently. It would be too late to get to potions now, especially since he didn't have a fellow classmate to follow. Scratching his head, he headed towards the great hall hoping it'd be about lunch when he got there. He shook his head thinking about the odd Ravenclaw girl. Most Ravenclaw wouldn't give him the time of day because they thought he was an idiot. Of course, he wasn't very smart but there was something nice about people talking to him, like he understood what they said. Not even teachers did that most of the time. 

Oh, well. She probably just liked the sorry note. Blaise had been right, it worked. He didn't feel guilty any more, though a bit sad about Cho Chang's story. She seemed sad. She would probably find someone else to talk to since she found out it would help and leave him alone. He smiled any way but only because he had reached the hall and he could smell lunch. 

******* 

Despite what he had thought about the Ravenclaw, she didn't leave him alone. During his much-awaited lunch, she shot him a smile when he looked over to the Ravenclaw table. After that night's supper, she actually said good night to him in passing. He had gotten some odd looks and a Slytherin asking him why Cho Chang had said good night to him. He shrugged and mumbled something, heading up to his dorm. He didn't know. Maybe she was just grateful he had listened. Or maybe that she thought owed him. He didn't know. It probably wouldn't last long. It was weird, though. People weren't usually nice to him, even the ones in his dorm. Why had the dark haired girl smiled at him? 

He didn't know. 

The next morning at breakfast he was sad to not see her at the Ravenclaw table. He wasn't sure why. Maybe he liked her smile. He wasn't sure as he piled his plate high with food. He had come to the table late and had missed the mail, which was too bad. He liked watching the owls come in. He swirled his spoon through his oatmeal, the brown sugar melting into thick swirls. The Great Hall quickly emptied of most people. They all left talking loudly to friends about this and that. He ignored them. His oatmeal had turned a gross brown gray when he remember he really didn't like oatmeal. He pushed his bowl away and grabbed some toast. 

The Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables were completely empty. Slytherin had the most students left but they were first and second years seated away from Greg. They weren't bothering him and he ignored them. He bit into his toast, glad that it was prebuttered and noting, like most food, it was still warm even if it had been left out on the table a while. 

It surprised him a lot when an owl landed in front of him. He stared at it blinking slowly. It squawked angrily at him shaking a leg at him. Even slower, he reached out at took the letter hanging there. The owl shot him a glare before flapping off. Greg watched it go before looking at what he got. 

He opened the envelope and pulled out a square parchment. When he unfolded it he saw it was covered in tiny handwriting he couldn't read. He stared at it. Who had sent it? His mother didn't write like that and she hardly wrote him anyway. He tried very hard to make out the signature. It looked like...Cho Chang? 

Had the Ravenclaw written to him? Yes, that was defiantly her name. Why had she written to him? He didn't know. He couldn't read her handwriting. He growled at the letter but that didn't tell him what it said. Greg got up from the table leaving half his toast on the table. He wanted to know what the note said. Maybe he could find someone who would read it to him. Someone smart like Blaise or Draco or maybe even Pansy. Greg tucked the note into a pocket and headed towards the Slytherin dorms. 

The common room was totally empty of any Slytherins. Greg stopped and looked around. Where was everyone? Was class on? No. Today was...Today was....? Oh yes, today was a Quidditch match. Slytherins weren't playing, though. It was...um Ravenclaw...Cho was seeker...against Hufflepuff. Greg pulled open the note and wondered if it had anything to do with the match. He scanned it for a moment then rolled it back up with a sigh. It didn't matter. He still couldn't read the small loopy letters. He looked around at the empty room. The match probably meant he wouldn't be finding any help in his dorm. 

He headed that way anyway. He could get blank parchment and a quill in case he wanted to write a reply. Besides, Blaise didn't like Quidditch so he might be there. As he opened the door, he caught a glimpse of white blonde in the dorms depths. 

Oh, good. Draco was there. 

Greg stepped inside and saw it wasn't good. The blonde was in the room but most likely wouldn't be in the mood to help Greg. He was sprawled across his bed or more specifically sprawled across Harry Potter kissing the Gryffindor's mouth. It was really Potter that was sprawled out on the bed. Greg's eye widened and his neck heated up. They were not going to be happy to find him here. 

Was it his fault? Should he have knocked? No, this wasn't his fault. Good, then. Maybe he could slip out quietly without them noticing. 

Too late. Either he made a sound or they both had a six sense about people staring at them. The kiss broke and both faces looked up. Then swore. 

Draco quickly pushed Potter away then fell off the bed. Two sets of eyes stared wildly at Greg, shocked. Oops. He turned and walked out the door. He was leaving before he got yelled at. 

"Greg! Get back in here!" 

Too late. Greg let out a little sigh before turning back into the room. He kept his eyes off either of the boys watching the top of the curtains. 

"This..." Draco started when Greg finally looked at him. "This isn't what it looks like." He pointed to himself then Potter and shook his head. The Gryffindor had gone tomato red and was looking from Draco to Greg. 

Wasn't what it looked like? Yes, it was. Greg almost said, 'Liar, liar, broomstick on fire.' but decided to not say anything. He watched Draco carefully as he tried to come up with an excuse. 

"Potter was...er...practicing! Yes practicing...um... artificial respiration, in essence a life saving technique for...er..." Draco blundered. 

"Muggle studies." Potter added. 

"Right. We were practicing giving someone artificial respiration for Muggles studies. Right. Um and it a secret assignment which means you can't tell any one." Draco said, breathing funny, too fast, like he wasn't getting enough air. 

"Right." Harry agreed smiling and amused. 

Greg frowned. Ok...that wasn't a good excuse. Even he wasn't dumb enough to fall for that. If someone else had caught them would he have used the same excuse? Greg didn't think anyone would fall for that. 

"You're not going to tell other people that are you?" Greg asked. If Draco didn't want anyone to know he liked kissing Potter, he would have to hide it better. "Anyone could have walked in on you. Professor Snape or Blaise would never believe that. If you can't think up better lies, maybe you shouldn't bring Potter here to snog." 

"I wasn't snogging Har...Potter!" Draco shouted stumbling over Potter's first name. Greg shrugged. 

"Shagging then. It doesn't matter. You should go somewhere where people won't walk in on you." 

The blonde gave a frustrated cry and actually tugged at his hair. "Why do you think that what we were doing? I told you what was really happening." 

"Uh huh. And you lied when you said it. You've been with him since at least...." How long? Fifth year. "Fifth year. At least. I've seen you." 

Draco's eyes widened and he started to say something but Greg spoke before he could. 

"And you sneak out every Friday to see him and you're always with him during Hogsmeade visits." Greg squinted wondering if he had forgotten anything. No, that was about it. Besides, the time Draco stared off into space grinning like he wasn't smart. Greg always figured the blonde was thinking about Potter. Draco sat stunned on his bed. Greg frowned, slightly upset he wouldn't get help from his friend. He really didn't want to track down Blaise or Pansy to read his note for him. He should. He decided leave Potter and Draco alone and find someone. Unless. He looked at Potter who seemed less stunned then Draco. The Gryffindor looked like he was about to laugh. Maybe he would... 

"Potter?" 

"Er, yeah?" The other boy looked away from Draco to look up at Greg. Greg thrust the letter into Potter's hands. 

"Could you read this for me? The writing is too loopy. I was going to get Draco to but...." Greg stopped talking and waved a hand in front of Draco's eyes to prove his point. The blonde barley blinked still shocked at his secret being known. Potter smiled almost laughing then turned to the letter. 

"Sure. Yeah, I used to have trouble reading 'miones handwriting." Potter assured. "It says...er... the talk we had was really very therapeutic. I was wondering if maybe you'd want to talk some more. It might be nice. Maybe you'd like to meet me at the library tomorrow after supper. I'll see you there. I think..." Potter frowned slightly. "From...Cho Chang?" He goggled for a second before looking up at Greg. "You're getting letters from Cho Chang?" 

"You were kissing Draco in my dorm room." 

Potter's face went a little red. "Oh yeah. Point taken." 

Greg grabbed the letter back. Draco had lost his dazed look and now just looked pissed. Greg decided to get out of the room before Draco decided to yell at him. He hated being yelled at. He was into the hallway when he heard a rush and feet stomp up behind him. He sighed again quietly and turned towards the other boy. Draco came up to him eyes flashing like metal. Draco then reached up and grabbed the neck of Greg's robe. Pretty bold for a boy who barley came up to Greg's chest. Letting go of Greg's robes he tried to stare Greg down. 

"I want you to swear that you won't tell anyone what you saw." The blonde hissed. 

"Why do you think I'd tell anyone?" 

"Are you going to swear?" 

"Do you remember the time when I was at the manor and you decided it would fun to steal your dad's broom?" Greg asked instead of answering Draco's question. 

The blonde's eyes quickly switched to behind Greg and he crossed his arms. The eyes darted back quickly. 

"Yes." 

"Do you remember how you took Vince with you and left me to guard the broom shed?" 

"Yes but I don't see how..." 

Greg held up a hand, which shut up the usually bossy teen. 

"Then your father came and started yelling at me to know where you were." 

The silver head nodded. "Yeah and then I landed in the stupid bushes came out and told him we were playing hidden gnomes. I still got in trouble for leaving the... yes I remember Greg. What is the point? 

"Did I tell your father that you took his broom?" 

Draco turned away again cheeks sporting a pink blush. "No." He answered through clenched teeth. "You didn't" 

"See. Besides who would I tell?" He hadn't thought about that but who would care enough to hear? Draco's dad maybe but Greg would never talk to him. Maybe Potter's friends if they didn't know but why would he tell them any way? 

"Your new Ravenclaw friend for one!" Draco snapped. Greg looked at him puzzled. 

"Why would she care?" He asked blinking. He didn't bother to say he wasn't friends with her. She probably just wanted someone to talk to that wouldn't talk back. The small blonde flustered slight pink stain hitting his cheeks. 

"Because...I'm well known and important." Draco said in a small voice. Someone snickered and Greg saw Potter had been listening to some of the conversation. 

"You aren't that important Draco Malfoy." Potter said as if he found the whole thing funny. 

Draco turned. "I'm more important then you Potty." He sneered. 

"Are not." 

"Are too." Draco insisted but instead of looking mad at Potter he smiled at the boy. Greg watched interested. Draco didn't smile often for real but it seemed Potter could make him. Which was good. Except they were getting mushy and looked like they were about to kiss. Greg made a face and left quickly. The two didn't seem to notice. He looked at the letter. The Ravenclaw wanted to meet him at the library tomorrow. She liked talking with him? That was unusual. It was weird. 

He didn't HAVE to go. He could 'forget'. She probably wouldn't care much. Or maybe she did care. Would it hurt her feelings if he didn't appear? Maybe he would go. 

It would give him a good excuse to look in the library wouldn't it? 

So yeah maybe he would go. 

Unless he actually forgot. 

******** 

As it turned out he didn't forget. He forgot his history textbook and his charm homework the next day but not that the Ravenclaw had asked him to meet in the library. The closer it got to supper, the iller he felt. What if she forgot to come? Or maybe Potter had read the note wrong and she had meant a different time. Or a different day. Or he couldn't get into the library. What if it had a password to open the door and no one had bothered to tell him what it was because he never went there but he did go and try to open the door and he couldn't get in and the Ravenclaw had thought he had forgotten or had just chosen not to come because he was mean. 

Greg blinked for a second trying to sort through what he had just thought. 

_Stupid, there's not any password for the library. Cho didn't use it that time at the library._

Hey, that was right. An old thought flooded his mind. What if he wouldn't be allowed to go into the library? He wasn't sure. No one ever said he couldn't but maybe no one thought he would. He ate less food at supper then he usually did and left the table earlier. He stood around in the hall for a bit. Was it after supper now? Should he wait for the house elves to collect the plates? Was after supper after his supper or after Cho's? 

He headed for the library then changed his mind and headed for his dorm. Then he changed his mind again and ended up staring at the silver handles that were attached to the purple doors. He went to reach for them but stopped making a face. He felt awful silly, worse then usual. How could he go in there? He didn't belong in a place where they kept books. And what if Cho wasn't in there? What if she was late or just not coming? What could he say to people? This was a bad idea. 

But still... 

He reached again stopping before he actually grabbed the silver. 

"They won't bite you know." A voice rang sharply over his shoulder. He turned and looked Cho straight in the eyes. She smiled brightly and patted her hair, which was messily strewn, across her head. 

"Just got out of practice. Frankly, our captain is a dictator. He's not happy how we won yesterday's game. More practice he says." She sighed. "I was afraid I wouldn't get here on time and you'd...urm leave. Thanks for coming." 

"Ya'elcome." Greg muttered out of the side of his mouth. As soon as he said something she went red in the face and stared at her shoes. 

"Well, let's go in." She said at last. He nodded but neither moved to open the door. Finally, she walked up beside him and turned the handle pulling the door open a crack. He grabbed the edge and held so she could go in past him. She went an even brighter red and slipped in saying a quick thank you. He paused took a deep breath and followed in after her. 

He looked around jaws slipping open. It was huge! Giant bookcases reaching over his head filled...no no not just filled...packed! Yes, packed with books. They were all sorts of sizes from the spine he could see and all sorts of colors. Surrounding the shelves some more hidden and darker then others a few dozen tables were scattered. Some students wearing a mixture of house colors were sitting in various groups reading or studying. About half looked up at them as they entered. A lone Slytherin and a group of three Ravenclaws kept their attention on Cho and Greg the longest looking somewhat shocked. Greg felt himself blush and he tried to duck behind Cho. That action didn't work very well due to his size and he felt his face grow warmer with embarrassment. 

This hadn't been a good idea. 

Luckily Cho either didn't notice or see the other library goers like she didn't notice or see Greg's blush. She grabbed Greg's arm and pulled him over to a small table, which was partly hidden, from the main group of tables by a large pillar. She sat down and after a moment got up and pulled him into a chair across from her. 

"Sit down Go...is it ok, if I call you Greg?" She asked, stopping in the middle of calling him Goyle. He nodded slowly. She smiled "Thank you. I thought it would be nice since you call me Cho." She bite her lip shyly like it was important so he made sure to remember to keep calling her that. "I'm glad my favorite table was free." She continued brightly. "I like it because it's secluded but there's still a view." She pointed to the window and they both spent five minutes starring out at the view. The tops of the forbidden forest were turning orange as autumn raged. 

Greg shifted in his chair restlessly. He had no idea why he was here and what he should say. Should he say something? Maybe he was supposed to stay quiet. 

"So," she started turning towards him bashfully not quite looking in his eyes. "I guess we should...um...get to know each other...um..." She gave him a pained expression before shrugging mournfully. 

"Did you know you were gonna get sorted into Ravenclaw." Greg asked. She looked at him startled, not expecting him to be the first to really speak. 

"Hmm?" 

Greg tried to figure out what he meant. "...Er did..." huh? "Were you always smart and read books and you know, everyone knew you would go to Ravenclaw?" That sounded right. 

Cho grinned in realization. "Oh! Well, no one in my family ever said I would be in Ravenclaw, my mum was but my dad didn't even go to Hogwarts. I've read since I was little though. Pretty early, I guess." 

Greg nodded briefly wondering where Cho's dad had gone to school if not Hogwarts. The girl took his nod as encouragement (Which it mainly was) and rummaged through the bag she had brought pulling out a pile of books that nearly made Greg double take. She pulled out a thin navy blue one. 

"See, this was my very favorite book when I was little. I don't even remember who gave it to me. An uncle or someone." She pushed the book towards Greg and he grabbed it. The cover had a picture of a grinning pink haired girl stroking a unicorn's nose. She looked up and waved at Greg. Disconcerted he passed it back to Cho who hugged it to her chest. 

"Yeah," She sighed. "Ulma and the unicorn Queen." She laughed. "I must have had my mum read it to me ten times a day. I even slept with it under my pillow for a week." She made a face laughing gaily as she tucked the book back in her bag. The small smile on Greg's face became his usual dull neutral expression as she looked back up at him. "Well, it was a good book. Apparently it sold really big and people are still picking it up. You ever read it?" She tipped her head bemused after her question. Greg just blinked at her dumbed by the question before answering. 

"No. I don't read." Maybe she hit her head at practice? Everyone knew he wasn't a smart person who sat around and read for fun or even when he needed to for school. 

"Oh." She said shugging. "I guess it is more of a girls book, huh? You probably did the whole boy's book things." 

He shook his head slowly brow furrling. "No, I mean I did'in read anything." 

Now it was Cho who looked startled. "Pardon?" 

"Mam did'in read to me. No one did." Greg said, wondering why her eyes went so wide in awe. He never thought it was a big thing. He shrugged uneasily. 

"Oh." She said. "Um, sorry. I um...er..." 

Greg felt bad like he had missed out on something. He missed out on something so big Cho looked like she was feeling sorry for him. He felt embarrassed at looking so dumb in front of her. 

"I don't do books." He mumbled ears going hot. Cho looked down at the tabletop then looked back at him. 

"Maybe..." She said quietly. "You'd like me to...urm read to you?" 

"Huh?" He said shocked by her words again. 

"It's ok if you don't want me to but if you'd like I can and I will." She looked down on the tabletop and ran a finger across a slight grove. 

"Uh..." 

She looked up again with a smile that looked somewhat like it was painted on. "I know it was a dumb suggestion. I must not be getting enough sleep. Stupid, huh?" She chuckled slightly. 

Oh, he had actually liked the idea. It seemed like it was so important. A piece he had missed when he was younger. "Oh, ok if you don't want to. But if you want to…" He left the sentence unfinished and looked away from the dark eyed girl. 

"Really? Because. Yeah, I would like to." He looked up at her to see her face had brightened. He gave her a small grin, which she returned before blushing and staring at her books. 

"Ok, then." She said still quite red. "Um, what would you like me to read?" Greg didn't say any thing just looked at the huge pile in front of her. She shifted the books pulling a few of the bottom one to the top. 

"Some of these are just texts and extra reading for classes." She explained pushing a few books aside. "I'm sure you don't want to hear those. Let's see...." She held up a thin little book with green leather. "This is Quidditch through the ages...but you know, it reads like a text book. It wouldn't be very interesting. Hmm" Finally a paperback found its way into her hand. She let out a happy coo and tossed it down in front of him. Half of it was a light green with dark green flowers growing behind a darker green title. The picture below it caught Greg's attention. Unlike any picture he'd ever seen it was still and didn't hold a glimmer of magic in its ink. It showed a pretty gold haired woman in a red dress being pulled through thick grass by a man wearing a black bandana and wielding a long sword. He stared at the picture. 

"It's a Muggle book." Cho's voice came from right beside him and Greg turned to see Cho hand seated herself on a chair next to him. "That's why the picture doesn't have any magic or move. The book is still good though, even if it's Muggle." She glared at him as if daring him to disbelieve her. He didn't say any thing just looked back at the book. She grabbed it and held it open. Greg instantly felt sick at all the tiny writing in the thick little book. The only calm he felt was the fact that he wasn't required to read the thing. Cho said he was going to read it to him but did she mean the whole thing? She couldn't have. She'd get fed up once she saw he didn't under stand all those small little words on the cream pages. Still for now he'd sit and see what it was like for someone to read to you. 

"Don't looked so worried." She told him calmly moving herself and the book so it rested comfortably in front of both of them. "It's not as big as it looks. It was abridged from the original and lots of the pages are just extra stuff about the guy who did it. It's a good read but not for right now." 

Greg didn't bother to tell her he didn't know what abridged meant. She would have to stop and explain and that would probably annoy her. He would just keep quite. She wasn't going to ask questions at the end of reading would she? 

"The actual story starts here." She explained pulling the book open. She tapped her finger one three words surrounded by a flower border. Greg read the words in his head recognizing them as: One, The, and Bride. 

"Chapter one, The bride," Cho read smoothly before turning the page. "'The year that Buttercup was born, the most beautiful woman in the world was a French scullery maid named Annette.'" She looked up at him eyes sparkling, "Good start, hmm?" 

"I...guess." 

She smiled then settled into the story. Greg wasn't sure what he would do when she read. He was afraid that he might fall asleep, making the little Ravenclaw mad at him. He had been afraid his mind would drift away and there would be questions at the end. What he hadn't thought would happen was he would listen to the story. He didn't at first. There were some many different people talked about in the first second after Cho started. Finally though it only talked about one person. The story made sense to him. There were words he didn't get but he got most of it. It was about a girl who lived on a farm. She was the most beautiful woman in the world. At least, she was after she fell in love with a farm boy. Actually, she only became the most beautiful woman when the farm boy went to America to seek his fortune. She wanted to make sure he would love her when he got back so she worked and cleaned until she was the most beautiful woman in the world. Then pirates killed him. 

Greg pulled back slightly in surprise at that part. 

"He died?" He asked, feeling oddly sad. 

"Wait 'til I read the next part." The girl said hardly seeming fazed. "Then, it great really goo...Oh!" Her eyes widened as she stared at something behind him. "Look at the time!" She exclaimed. Greg turned the clock on the wall. The hand that said students was pointing to 'You should go to bed it's almost past curfew. For shame!' The rest of the library was empty of all students except them. Uh oh. 

"We'll have to finish this another time." Greg looked at the girl a bit surprised. She...wanted to keep reading to him? She saw him looking and frowned sadly. 

"I don't have to if you don't want to. I guess a Muggle book might not be too exciting." 

Greg shook his head quickly surprising both him and Cho. 

"You want to hear the rest of the story?" She asked softly. He nodded. Cho beamed. "Great um...yah that good. Um I'll owl you for a time or something. Erm, ok?" 

Greg nodded and they left the library. Cho went one way and Greg searched for a stairway that went down. He didn't know books could have good stories in them and not be boring or not easy to get like his textbook. He felt really... 

Hmm... This wasn't the right way. He turned around for a second. Closing his eyes he pointed in a random direction and headed that way. He could feel the time passing and if he wasn't fast enough he'd miss curfew. 

Anyway he felt.... happy? And the Ravenclaw was going to read more to him. Looking around the hall looked like the way to the Slytherin's dorm. Good he had found it. He smiled proudly. He hadn't made her not want to read to him. She wanted to. Pleased with himself he didn't see Professor Snape until he almost ran into the man. Greg jumped back. 

Greg liked his head of house. He was always stern and yelled a lot but it was really no more then his mother did. In fact Greg was pretty sure he liked Professor Snape more then his mother. The man had never yelled at him personally. Even though Greg liked the potion master he winced when he saw the man outside the Slytherin dorm with his arms crossed. Greg guessed he had missed curfew. 

"Mister Goyle. What are you doing out past curfew?" The dark haired man asked. It was more of an actual questions then an accusation. Despite that Greg shrugged and looked down at the floor. 

"Got lost." He grunted not looking into his house heads face. Snape frowned. 

"I thought," he said "that you usually spent your time with Mr. Malfoy who should know the way to the common room. Since I have seen Mr. Malfoy in the dorm am I then to assume you were wandering the halls with out any accompany?" 

Greg stared silently for a second trying to sort out what Professor Snape had just said. Finally he nodded hoping that was the right answer. The man frowned slightly and Greg ducked his head. He was in trouble then. He never talked to the head of house. He was definitely in trouble. 

"Since you have never done this before and it was unintentional I do believe you will get off with out repercussion." Snape smirked slightly and Greg breathed a sigh of relief. If he under stood what had been told to him he wasn't in trouble. 

"T...thanks." the boy said with a gulp. 

The man frowned. Woops. Greg forgot that Snape didn't like being thanked when he helped. "It is though, time for sleep Gregory. Go on and don't get lost again." 

"Yessir." Greg mumbled hurrying past into the common room. He paused for a moment. This could be a good time to ask something. "Can I ask a question?" 

"I suppose." The Slytherin head said. "What would it be?" 

"What does abridged mean?" Cho had said that the book had been one. The professor would have to know what it meant and he wouldn't have to ask her. Snape blinked at the question in surprise. 

"Well erm..." The man said. "It's done to books. A book may have parts cut to make it shorter and easier to read. It happens to Muggle books more then wizard because they don't have anti plagiarism spells on them. Plagiarism," He added hastily when seeing Greg's confused expression "is when someone takes another persons writing and says it's their own. Any way most Muggle classics have been abridged. It merely makes then shorter, easier to read or just cuts out boring description." The Professor stopped taking and looked at Greg oddly. 

Greg nodded and grunted out thanks before entering the Slytherin dorms. The door was open luckily so he didn't have to remember the password. When he got to his room he got a few odd looks because he usually was the first to sleep. He ignored them as he got ready for bed still thinking over what had happened today. The candles were blown out in the dorm room and all his dorm mates went to sleep. He didn't stop thinking. 

She wanted to read more to him. He'd hear more of the story tomorrow. He smiled into the darkness then pulled the blanket over his head trying to fall asleep with a mind filled of thoughts of evil pirates, brilliant farm boys, a horse named horse and a pretty girl with ink black hair and almond shaped beetle black eyes. 

******* 

Cho and Greg didn't have many reading times as long as the first one. Most times Cho only had a half an hour or less free. She had classes and Quidditch practice. Greg had been pretty disappointed one Wednesday when they had time after lunch and Cho was finishing up a good part. She was in the middle of a sentence when her teammates rushed into the library and dragged her away for emergency practice for an upcoming match against Gryffindor. The raven-haired girl could only wave apologetically before she was gone, taking the book with her. 

Greg had spent the minutes he had before class sulking in his dorm growling at any one who entered. He was even less happy after class (It was transfiguring). Greg was quite surprised when Cho slipped out from the crowed and pushed her way up to him. Standing on her tippy toes she whispered, 

"Vizzini needed Fezzik. But not half as much as Fezzik needed Vizzini. As long as Vizzini was around, you couldn't be alone. Whatever Vizzini said, Fezzik did. And if that meant crushing the head of the man in black...." Greg saw that Cho had 'The Princess Bride' in her hands and was finishing up the section about Fezzik. She grinned up at him black eyes sparkling. "So be it." She closed the book and shoved it in her book bag. "I have to go to class." She chirped before Greg could say any thing. "Bye." Greg waved after her with a smile before heading for the dungeons. 

Greg missed curfew more and more. Snape started to take points off but would always answer questions that Greg had for any of the words Greg needed to know. His dormmates were used to him being late and would just leave the candles on for him, ignoring his late appearance. And most importantly instead of sitting around after meals waiting for the plates to disappear Cho would pop by his table book in hand. She was more interesting the house elf magic any day. 

******* 

Greg was very much surprised at how fast Christmas break came. With things to do the days didn't seem to drag on. He and Cho read in the library every free night. Greg had even ventured to go see the Quidditch match between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. He had sat with Draco though the blonde seemed to silently cheer on Potter muttering under his breath. Greg frowned at the blonde who cheered pretending he was coughing when Potter caught the snitch. 

Cho consoled her loss by reading more to Greg sharing with him a few cupcakes and butter beers she'd snuck in the library. In a way it didn't even seem bad she had lost the game. 

Then one night, seeming to surprise both of them.... she finished the book. One sentence. She stopped looked up at him and said. 

"The....end?" 

As soon as she finished the book he got up and said it was time for him to go to bed. He didn't actually though. He wandered for a bit something he hadn't done for a long while. If he didn't think his feet would lead him all over the castle. He tried not to think of any thing but that for once was hard. The book had ended it a way that made him wonder what would happen next. Not just for the book people but for him and Cho. The book was the reason they spent time with each other. If it was done that probably meant Cho would go find something better to do. Greg felt weird as he thought of that. Suddenly he realized why. 

He didn't want her to do other things. He wanted her to spend time with him. That thought made him feel slightly queasy though he wasn't sure why. 

He liked Cho. Why did that make him feel so weird? He didn't know and shook his head. He tried to stop thinking again; it made him upset. 

Why? 

He didn't sleep that night no matter how hard he tired. The next morning he skipped breakfast. He didn't feel up to it. Besides he might see her in the hall. No he decided that staying in his bed would be the best idea. He didn't have any classes today and all his dorm mates had left for Hogesmede. 

"Cus?" 

Well maybe not all his dorm mates. Greg sat up and looked at Vince. 

"Yeah?" 

"Here." Vince tossed a scone at Greg, which Greg caught and started to devoured. His stomach was not suited for him even missing one meal. He smiled gratefully. 

"Thaunks." He said mouth full of the scone. Vince shrugged moving to his trunk and pulling a winter cloak. He tied it at his throat then preceded to replace his inside shoes with heavy winter boots. Catching Greg looking at him Vince gave his cousin a perturbed look. 

"Are you going to Hogesmede today?" 

Greg shrugged then shook his head no. Vince frowned. 

"Well, you should. Buy some Christmas presents or something." Vince headed out the door. "See you there." He left down the hall. 

Greg sighed as he listened to his cousin's footsteps then groaned and rolled off his bed. He could tell by Vince's tone he actually expected Greg to go to Hogsmeade. The boy slowly pulled off his pajamas and even showered before pulling on a clean robe. Half and hour later he met Vince in the three broomsticks and had brunch. With the arrival of Buckworth and a few others, Greg said goodbye and slipped out. He wandered down the street then bought some sweets at honey dukes. Even though he now had a large candy bag the small sack of money he clipped on his belt still jingled loudly. 

He paused. He still had most of his birthday money. 

_Buy some Christmas presents or something_

Buy a Christmas present? Maybe...his mind wandered over the prospect of getting something for Cho. It made him shiver slightly and not from the cold. Would she like that? A present? Maybe he could. 

He had stopped near a store that might have...books or something. His heart raced in excitement at the idea. He never bought any of his dormmates gifts except a bag of candy. He had never felt like getting them real presents but getting Cho a present seemed perfect. She was nice. But he had to get her the right gift. The perfect gift. 

He creeped into the store hunching over trying to look small which was very hard for him to do. A chime rang when he entered the store but luckily no sales person appeared. He crept slightly to the back. There were a half a dozen shelves holding books. They held the books like the store where he got his school texts rather then the library with the front covers facing out. He was unsure where to even begin. Stepping in one of the aisles he looked at the covers of the books having no idea what the Raven claw girl would like. 

"Gregory?" 

Greg shot his head up quickly to the source of the voice. He caught the gaze of Blaise who held a book open in front of him hand poised in the middle of turning a page. Greg blushed and lowered his eyes embarrassed at being seen in the bookshop. 

"Lo." Her muttered. Blaise shut the book he was looking in a placed it back on the self. 

"What are you doing here?" The boy asked politely moving over to Greg glancing up at him. 

"Shopping for...um Cho." Greg finally admitted deciding not to lie. 

"Ah, you're going to get her a book, I assume." Blaise said neutrally conversational. He made a face the books. "I was thinking of doing my Christmas shopping here but the selection is not all that unusual. My sister Ambrosia most likely would not enjoy a book from here. Her taste are quite picky though." He added quickly like he had said something he shouldn't of. "I'm sure you can find a good book for your Ravenclaw...friend?" 

Greg shrugged. "Maybe. I dunno." He looked at Blaise. Maybe he could help him find a good book to give Cho. "I'm just looking at the covers. I donno what to get her." 

Blasie gave a small smile. "Well, you know that old saying, you should never judge..." 

"Blaise Zambini, where did you get to?" A loud voice interrupted Blaise who grimaced and shugged his up shoulders as if trying to block the voice. Pansy came around the corner and glared at Blaise. 

"How could you leave while I was talking to you?" She whined. "It's sooo mean and it was important too." 

Blaise sighed. "Hello again, Pansy. I..." He gritted his teeth. "Apologize. I was.... unaware you were still talking to me." 

"Well, I was and you hurt my..." Her eyes landed on Greg. "Greg! Why are you here?" 

Blaise's eyes fell on Greg to and his face looked hopeful. "Greg is here because he wants to get a gift for Cho Chang." Pansy turned to him interested. "His girlfriend." 

"Girlfriend!" Pansy shrieked turning back to Greg. "How come you never told me she was your girlfriend?" Greg stared at Pansy wide eyed then at Blaise. The boy shrugged inching his way down the aisle then dashing away. 

"She's...I'm...." Greg stuttered stupidly. Pansy continued to react to the news waving her arms, body movement causing her brown hair to wave frantically. 

"How could I not have heard that Greg Goyle has an actual girl as a girl friend? Why was I not informed?" 

"She's not..." He mumbled his deep voice cut out by Pansy's high loud one. 

"I knew you were spending time with the Ravenclaw but the rumor was you were paying her to help you not fail history." 

"But Pansy..." Greg said trying to be louder then her. 

"I can not believe you didn't tell me!" 

"You're not..." 

"What do you have to say for your self?" 

"SHE"S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!" Greg rumbled. Pansy jumped back a foot. 

"Sure she's not." Pansy said in a voice that actually meant the exact opposite. 

"She isn't." Greg insisted voice going lower then usual. 

"Then what are you doing in a book store?" Pansy asked smugly crossing her arms. 

"I'm...." Greg knew his ears were going red. "Ok...I'm buying her a present but just because she's my..." Friend? 

"Girl friend?" Pansy asked with a smirk. 

"No! She's nice." 

"Well, I guess you can't have a nice girlfriend because you're a Slytherin. It wouldn't really go. Hmmm." Pansy thought for a second rubbing her chin like she wanted to show she was thinking. "She did break Harry Potter's heart and use that Hufflepuff guy to get in the paper so she has to have some Sly..." 

Pansy's words cough up with Greg's mind. "She did not! Cedric was Cho's best friend and you shouldn't say stuff about her like that!" 

She smirked again at him "I knew it you'd gone soft. Hee hee." She shrugged. "Oh well, what can you do?" 

"Don't say things like that any more." He growled. She looked a bit startled because he had moved to stand over her. 

"Ok, I won't." Pansy promised. He nodded and stepped away. "Crips, you really like her, huh?" 

"I dunno." 

"Looks like it." 

"So?" 

"So, you need help." 

"Help?" Greg replied slowly not getting what Pansey meant. She rolled her eyes. 

"You want her to still like you so you want to get her a gift." 

"No. I just wanna give her a gift cause..." He trailed off. Pansy made a face. 

"Don't disagree Greg." She grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the book aisle and then out of the store. 

"Where are we going?" Greg asked surprised. 

"Someplace better." Pansy stopped them both in the middle of the street. "You were going to buy that Ravenclaw a book weren't you?" 

"Ya why..." 

She interrupted him with a glare. 

"See you can't just get her a book because she's from Ravenclaw. I'm sure that's all the dull little girl ever gets. She must be sick of them." 

"Cho likes books." 

"Quite dear, Pansy is talking." Greg shut his mouth and allowed the much smaller girl to pull him into another store. He had never been in that particular store before. It was filled with the sorts of stuff he might find beside his mother's large vanity mirror. In the front there were multiple counters filled with different shades of lip, cheek, and eye colorings charms prepackaged. There were also bottles of hair cleaning, curling, coloring, and straightening potions. They were beside thousands of brightly coloured...thingys for girls to hold their hair up with. 

Pansy pulled him further into the store as he eyed it all with dismay. He felt more out of place here then he did in the library. This was a girl's store. It was pink, purple and, and, and flowery! They passed a huge rack of dress robes that Pansy looked at for a second before sniffing in distaste and pressing on. It was only when they were at the back back of the store that the small Slytherin let go of his hand sure he wouldn't bolt for safety. 

"That Greg, is what girls want for gifts." She said pointing. He first thought she meant the display of hideous quills, pink, self inking and fluffy. Then he saw she was actually pointing past it to a glass case full of glittery gold and silver jewelry. 

"Uh, I don't think that..." 

Pansy cut him off with a snort. "Greg, it's not your place here to think. That's why I'm helping you." 

"But." 

"No, no. Who's the smarter one here?" Reluctantly Greg pointed to her. "That's right. So, listen to me. I know what I'm talking about." 

"But..." Pansy had already waved down a clerk to open the case. The only thing Greg could do was make sure the clerk didn't pull out any of the big jeweled necklaces. When he did point at one that he though looked ok Pansy didn't give him time to change his mind. She got the sales person to grab it as she prodded Greg back up front to the front and the till. With in seconds he had bought it. He went red and quickly stuffed the little box holding the necklace in his cloak pocket. He tried to get out the door as fast as he could. 

"You know." Pansy said coming up right behind him. "That was an ok looking piece of jewelry but I think any girl would prefer something with gems on it. That was just plain gold. And for that matter it's not real gold. No girl would like that. I think you really should have gotten that real gold one with the little heart shaped...." Greg never heard the rest of the necklace's description because Pansy suddenly squealed "Draco!" and darted away. 

Greg reddened more hoping Pansy wouldn't tell Draco why he had gone into the girly store. Draco had been standing near Potter and didn't look too happy when Pansy bounced up. 

"Hi Draco! Potty." She added to Potter with a sneer. Potter successfully melted away from the scene after giving Draco a small smile. Draco then turned his attention on Pansy and Greg. 

"Pansy what are you doing to Greg?" 

"Helping him." 

"By dragging him around shopping at girl stores? How would that help any one?" 

"For your information Draco, he was looking for a gift. If it hadn't been for me he would have gotten a horrible one." 

"If you say so Pansy dear." The blonde said stressing the dear with a sneer. Pansy smirked back almost the same way. Together they looked very creepy to Greg. 

"Oh, I say so." The girl snarled. "Maybe if you spent more time with your goonie cronies I wouldn't have to help him." 

"He doesn't need me to help him shop." Draco snapped back. "Do you Greg?" 

Greg didn't answer. As soon as Pansy and Draco got interested in talking to each other he hurried onto the path back to Hogwarts. He didn't want to hang around with either of the two. They had gotten very snippy with each other as of late and their "conversations" usually ended with both of them screaming. He rather he was far away from loud arguments. 

When finally he got into his dorm and sat on his bed catching his breath. He reached into his cloak pocket and pulled out the little box before pulling off his cloak and tossing it in the corner. He held the box open and his cheeks went red again. 

The necklace it's self was a simple little gold colored chain. The links were round and fit perfectly and smooth together. The charm that hung off it was a golden snitch. It was just a really small golden snitch. The chain could wrap around his wrist twice maybe more so. It should hang long on Cho's neck. At least that's what the sales clerk had said. Greg wasn't sure if that was good or bad. It had a slight magical enchantment on it that had made it pretty expensive. The little golden snitch would normally hang just straight down. The spell made it so that every once and a while the snitch would try to fly away from the wearer. It couldn't get away because it was on the chain but it would buzz around the wearer's neck until the wearer caught it. Then it would hang normally again for a while. 

He allowed himself a small smile before he closed the box. Hopefully Cho would like it. He stuffed the box under his pillow and decided to hide it there until Christmas Eve. Then he could send it to Cho. Or not. Pansy could make him buy it but she couldn't make him send it, now could she? 

For the three days before Christmas Eve he didn't even see Cho. They had no plans to meet at the library and he never saw her during meals. That could have been because he made sure he got there really early or really late. He tried not to think about it but whenever he saw a glimpse of Cho he ducked out of sight and moved away as fast as he could. If he thought about her or the necklace still under his pillow his face would go hot and red. He worked hard at keeping his mind blank so he didn't think about them. If his mind did slip he would debate whether to send the necklace or not. 

Christmas Eve he decided he wouldn't. It might embarrass Cho. It would definitely embarrass him. Cho would never know he'd bought it for her. He might even be able to give it back to the store and get his money back. He sat on a large armchair away from the fire near a corner. He held the little box in his hands waiting for midnight. He wasn't sending it. 

"Hello, Greg." A voice purred from in front of him. He looked up to see Pansy standing her hands on her hips glaring. He sighed. He had forgotten she was staying over for the holiday. Her brown hair was pulled sharply away from her face in a tight bun. She had holly leaves pinned to the side above her left ear. She smiled at him in a way that wasn't nice or sweet. 

"Hi." He said nervously. She sat herself on the arm of his chair still glaring. He moved away from her but there was only so much room on the chair's seat and he was very big. 

"Do you know what I am?" She asked. 

Greg wanted to say very scary but decided not to. He shrugged. She frowned and folded her hand in her lap. Her gold/brown eyes glistened in the firelight making her, if possible, more scary looking. 

"I, Greg, am upset." 

_And mad. And scary. And talking to me._

"Oh." He grunted as if it all made sense to him. She tapped him lightly on the nose. 

"Do you know why I'm upset? With you Greg? Hmmm?" She smiled lightly which didn't reach her eyes making her look ready to bite him. He shifted slightly and shook his head. Her smile dropped from her face. "You don't know why I'm mad at you?" Head shake again and his eyes dropping to his shoes. They were black. 

"I'll tell you. Guess what I did today?" 

_Sacrificed goats? _ He thought not actually say that out loud. 

"Um..." 

"I talked to a house elf." 

Greg looked up surprised. He never though she would do that. She came from one those families with a big manor and a lot of house elves. Mostly girls like that treated house elves like dirt or a fly or maybe invisible servants. In other words, she'd be sitting in her parlor and say 'I want some lemonade' and it would appear beside her. She wouldn't think that a house elf had brought it. Pansy made a face at him. 

"Yes, I talked to a house elf. Ugh." She shook disgusted. "That's one of the reasons I'm mad at you because I had to do that. The main reason though is this." She leaned in closer. "I talked to the house elf in charge of delivering inter house gifts. You know, it was that really annoying one that wears clothes and gets paid. Ick." 

Greg knew which house elf she was talking about. It used to belong to the Malfoy estate. He'd seen it many times when he was over at Draco's. He didn't on the other hand know how it got free. House elves that annoyed Draco's dad usual seemed to end up dead rather than free. Greg had asked Draco about it but the blonde had just shrugged saying his father had been rather put out about it. Greg looked back at Pansy wondering if she was close to the point. 

"I asked him if you had given a gift to send to the Ravenclaw dorm. Specifically to Cho Chang. Do you know what he told me?" 

To this Greg nodded. The answer would be no since he was holding the gift right now. She frowned at this. 

"Wrong answer. Nodding would mean you didn't send the gift, would it not? And that's annoying me because I helped you pick out that gift which you have decided not to send." Darn. He had hoped she wouldn't find out he hadn't sent it 'till to late. 

"I changed my mind and decided not to send it." Greg shrugged hoping that was enough to get her to leave him alone. 

"Very wrong answer. Do you know nothing? When a girl likes you, you buy her gifts so she still likes you." 

"I...um." Greg stopped talking. "I mean. What makes you think I want her to like me or any thing?" 

"Come on Golye. I know you. My mother went to all those stupid party thingys with your mother. We're almost in the same social circle except I'm much richer. I met you when you were little. You're dull. You don't say much. You grunt. If any girl find that admirable, I'd say jump at the chance. Even if you just want to be friends." She rolled her eyes when she said friends. "Friends give friends gifts. I'm getting Millicent a beaters bat and I'm getting Blaise a thong." She grinned wickedly. 

"Oh." Greg was unsure what to say. 

"I was going to send Draco a dead rat, he's not been paying any attention to me lately, but I changed my mind." She frowned in thought. "Personally, I'm starting to think he plays for the other team." 

"Oh." Greg said. He thought Draco was still the Slytherin's seeker. What team was he playing for now? Pansy just shook her head. 

"Never mind. Oh, and don't tell him I said that, ok?" 

Greg nodded. 

"The point is..." The girl stopped as she tried to remember what the point was. Greg squirmed uncomfortable wanting to be away from Pansy. "The point is she likes you. I have no bloody idea why but she does. You don't want to be stupid and screw that up do you? Send her the necklace. She'll love it. I bet she never gets jewelry and, even if she does, she'll love getting it from you." 

Greg shook his head and Pansy's face fell slightly. 

"Why not? You're being stupid." 

Well, he was always stupid, wasn't he? "Because, I'm a Slytherin and she's.... Besides, I'm not smart and she's..." He frowned. He could never make himself explain things right. If he could only explain to Pansy, he knew she'd get it. "We don't have the same house, you know. I can't just send her a present. Everyone will know I did if I send it. Aren't I not suppose to?" 

"There's no rule that says you can't give gifts to other house members. No one says you can't be friends with other house members. Hell, there's no rule that says you can't date another house member. If people say you shouldn't it doesn't mean its true. Just...." The girl faltered. "Just, I donno pretend they aren't there." 

"I don't know." 

"Come on." She said almost like she was pleading. " No one but her and me have to know you sent it. Here." She pried the box from his hands and set it in her lap. She reached into her robe pocket and fished out a scrap of parchment and a self-inking pen with blue ink. She wrote so he could see From Greg. With a tap of her wand the note stuck itself to the box. 

"This way under the tree no one will even know it's from you. She can open and then see it's from you. Nice and personal." The girl then dropped the box into a gift bag she pulled from her robe pockets. 

"There." 

"But..." 

"But schmut. Just forget it, ok. Especially the whole she's smart and you're dumb thing. Lord knows it's true but she doesn't care. She likes you. I don't know why but she does." 

"But she's still in...." 

"A different house. I know. Everyone says you shouldn't be with different house members because they're all below us but really she's just Ravenclaw. People it my family have been Ravenclaw. It's not that bad. It's not like she's Gryffindor." The girl let out a few rounds of barking laughter. "Imagine. A Slytherin actually dating a Gryffindor. I can't see it." Greg almost smiled when Pansy frowned at him again. "So just ignore the house thingy for now and send the damn present." 

Greg sighed feeling like a popped balloon. "Ok." 

"Ok, you'll do it?" 

"Ya." 

"Great." She pointed to the bag. "I'll go take it to that annoying house elf for you." 

"Why are you doing this?" Greg asked suddenly. Why did Pansy decide she wanted to help him all of a sudden? She looked at him sharply. 

"You really want to know?" 

Greg nodded. 

"Because I'm boooooored" Her brown eye rolled as she moaned, "There is nothing to do in this castle. All my friends went home for the break." Greg understood that. He probably wouldn't like being alone in his dorm either. Pansy must have been lonely with out any of the other girls. 

"Thanks." 

"I'm not trying to be nice or any thing," She said quickly. 

"You don't have to try." 

Her eyes went to little slits the brown going an angry golden brown. "I am not being nice. I am not nice." 

"But you are." 

She prodded him in the cheats painfully. "Say it. Say I'm not nice. Don't tell people I'm nice. I'm not. Come on say it." 

"Nope." He gave her a small hug knowing it would make her even more mad then stood up knocking her to the floor. 

"Jerk!" She called after him as he went up to his dorm. "You know, I'm starting to prefer you when you weren't interesting." 

He just smiled. 

****** 

When Greg woke up on Christmas morning, he felt dreadful. He remembered the necklace and knew that Cho was going to wake up and get it. Ooh, that made him feel sick. He wanted to stay under his blanket and not come out until end of school but the candles had been lit and his dorm mates were all up. Greg sighed and threw back his blanket acting like it was a school day not a holiday where you got presents. He looked at the small pile grimly thinking about his present getting to Cho. Maybe it hadn't been delivered. Hopefully. 

"Interestingly colored present Draco." Blaise said raising an eyebrow at the blonde. Greg looked up at the other boys opening their presents. Draco had picked up a parcel wrapped in bright red tied with frilly gold ribbons. It stood out among his darker covered gifts and green bedspread. Greg almost smiled. He knew who that was from. Draco shrugged off Blaise's comment opting to open the gift rather then explain it's colors. He held what ever it was out of everyone's line of sight but whatever it was he seemed to like it. A dreamy grin spread across his face. 

Greg turned back to his pile gulping grimly. He hoped again the gift wasn't a mistake and began to open presents. He got the usual candies from Vince and surprisingly Blaise. He was relived that he remembered to get both the same. Under their presents had been one from Draco that held a new set of gobstones and a note. 

_*Thank you for not telling. *_

Greg frowned still wondering who Draco thought he'd tell. He looked up at Draco but was unable to catch his eye due to the fact the blonde was still fingering the gift from Potter. Greg placed the note and gobstones aside with the candies then ate a handful of every flavored beans in Christmas flavors. The taste of turkey, coal, pine, cinnamon and chocolate mingled in his mouth but he didn't mind. He opened the new robe from his Aunt Girdy and two pairs of black socks from his mum. The second to last gift caught his attention. 

"My dad sent me som'in." He said surprised mouth full of everyflavored beans again... The room's three other occupants looked up. 

"Really?" Draco said closing his box from Potter. "He's back?" 

Greg's dad had gone off on work for the Dark Lord and Greg hadn't seen him in months. Greg swallowed his mouthful. 

"No mam woulda said something. It's from where ever he is." The other boys nodded in understanding losing interest and returning to their presents. Greg started to rip the silver foil off the gift. Inside there was a small bag of sickles and five white and purple stripped candycanes. He stuck one in his mouth enjoying the taste of snozzberry. It was nice to know his father was well and good. It would be even better if he was back for summer hols. He gave a small grin. It would be nice to see his father again at the manor. His silent figure was always reassuring against Greg's mum's yells. 

As he used his back teeth to cruch the candy canes apart he spied one last gift he hadn't yet opened. He picked it up looking at the paper. It was white covered it tiny green Christmas trees. He flipped it over but couldn't fine a tag or who it was from. He shrugged, wiped the sticky from his hand and ripped off the paper. 

Two seconds later he was staring at a copy of 'The Princess Bride' sitting in his hand. Gulping down shards of candy cane he opened the cover. There was a note printed it large print the ink changing from silver to green every five seconds or so. 

** Merry Christmas Greg. I thought you deserved to own your own copy. Love Cho Chang.**

Greg stared eyes wide. He opened his mouth to say something then closed it. Then opened it again. He did this few times felling like a fish but unable to stop. He reread the note then closed the book and looked it over. 

"She...got...me...something." Greg muttered awed out loud. All his dorm mates looked at him surprised at the tone of his voice the bugged-eyed expression on his face. He didn't notice any of them. After a few minutes Vince's stomach growled. 

"Breakfast!" He announced standing up and pulling a robe over his pj's. The other boys minus Greg nodded and changed into their robes. 

"Are you coming Greg?" Blaise asked as they got to the door. Greg nodded and pulled a robe over his PJ's like his cousin. It was inside out but he didn't notice as he picked up his book again. Draco rolled his eyes exiting the dorm room. 

"Easy there big fella." Blaise said gently grabbing Greg's robe before he ran into a wall. "That must have been some gift Greg." Greg nodded and showed Blaise the book. Blaise glanced at the note then gave it back. 

"Ah, it all makes sense now. How incredibly soppy." 

Greg nodded hard smiling tucking the book back in his pocket. They entered the dungeons and headed for the stairs up to the Great Hall. By the time they reached the door to the Great Hall Greg had got some sense back in his head after running into a few walls. 

"Greg!" An excited sweet voice called. The boy turned to watch Cho dash up to him. She looked like she was wearing a collection of her Christmas gifts. The hem of a blue robe appeared under a bronze sweater that hung almost past her waist. Five butterfly clips were stuck in her hair haphazardly flapping their wings lazily. She smiled brightly at him and his stomach fluttered. 

"I love it! It's the sweetest thing I've ever seen." Cho's hand went to her tan neck where she fingered the gold snitch necklace she had hung there. She then looked at the floor her cheek going pink. "Thank you." 

He couldn't help it. His lips twisted to a grin. "And thank you for the book. I really like it." 

She didn't look at him instead checked out a chip in the stone near his feet. Greg could see she was smiling too. "I'm glad. It's not as nice as the necklace by any rate. I was afraid you wouldn't like it." 

"Trust me. He liked it." Blaise said from over Greg's shoulder. Greg turned around slightly. Vince had gone in for food but Draco and Blaise were still there and had heard every thing. Greg went redder as did Cho who also hadn't noticed them. 

"You're busy." Blaise said dryly. "We'll see you inside." Draco nodded. The two turned then Draco stopped. 

"Don't hurt yourself coming into the hall Greg." The blonde called giving his friend an evil smile. Blaise mimicked it. 

"Good point. Make sure the door is open before you walk, eh?" Both boys snickered walking in. Greg glared at them both turning back to Cho. She looked bewildered. 

"What was that about?" She asked. He shrugged. 

"Nothing. Thank you for the book. It's really nice. I could read the note, too." 

"I made sure you would be able to." Cho smiled then grabbed her necklace as it buzzed to her ear. "Thank you so much for the necklace. It is the nicest gift I ever got." 

"You're welcome." 

"You're welcome, too." 

They stood for a second grinning like idiots before joining the people in the great hall. 

Unnoted by anyone, another person stood in the entrance to the great hall. He was neither disinterested, engaged or finding the scene romantic. He found it appalling. His arms were crossed over his chest and his blue eyes darkened with each movement of the two. 

"That's disgusting." He spat on the floor leaving a mess of saliva for finch to clean later. "How revolting. Repugnant. Kissing a mudblood. Mixing the house blood. Only an imbecile like him could be so...yuck" He then sneered turning his eyes and walking into the Great Hall for breakfast. "That should be stopped." 

******* 

Greg was walking out of Lunch on Boxing Day with a slight grin on his face. Yesterday had been the best Christmas of his life. Cho sat beside him at Breakfast and Supper like she didn't notice she was surrounded by Slytherins. They didn't talk at all except short sentences. Whenever he tried to say more he'd stutter. She would go bright pink. He didn't know what was wrong but it didn't feel bad, kinda nice. 

Then he helped her open a cracker almost giggling in front of every one when she got bunny ears and put them on. She had looked so... he didn't know the right word. One that would fit how Cho looked so...Perfect wasn't the word. She was aglow almost. Her black hair was glossy like an olive's skin her eyes were black almost the same color. The light from the fairies on the Christmas tree made her glow not like glass but like... ugh words he needed more words. He needed a word that meant her glow her hair her eyes the bunny ears and the fluttering feeling that attacked his stomach when he saw her. 

What was the right word? Greg wondered walking slowly. He stopped suddenly surprised. 

Buckworth blocked Greg path back to the Slytherin common room. Greg looked at the other boy confused. He didn't look happy. Greg wasn't all that worried. He was less scary then Draco even if he was taller. 

He smelled worse then him too like he didn't always shower after Quidditch practice (Maybe he didn't he was the teams beater). He was big tall wide with muscles. He was almost as big as Greg just an inch or two off. He was, Pansy said, incredible good looking. Greg wouldn't know. Pansy had once told him Buckworth hair was like gold, his teeth like pearls, and his eyes like oceans. Millicent who was standing there too made a hacking sound it the back of her throat and mocked spitting on the floor. 

"He's a dumkopf." she said, whatever that meant. Pansy nodded, said he also wasn't the best looking boy in Slytherin and, oh, did Greg know where Draco was? 

Buckworth's apparent ocean blue eyes glared at Greg and his foot stamped the floor like an angry horse. 

"Goyle, I think its time that you and I have a little talk." Greg nodded. 

"Ok." 

Buckworth glared more. "More like I talk you listen." 

"Ok." 

"Shut the hell up!" 

Greg bit down hard and nodded. Buckworth sneered. 

"Good." He pulled Greg over to a dark corner. "Goyle we have to talk about this little situation you've created. We are Slytherin. You are proud to be one right, Goyle?" 

Greg nodded slowly trying to figure what stupid thing he's done to make Buckworth so angry. 

"Well, it doesn't seem that way!" Buckworth snapped. 

Greg looked at Buckworth confused. He wisely didn't say anything so not to make Buckworth any more angry. He didn't want to get cursed or yelled at. 

"You're disrespecting your house. You're disrespecting your blood. You disrespect the name of Slytherin." Buckworth paced in front of Greg, punching his hand with the fisted other. Greg was starting to worry biting the inside of his cheek. He didn't like Buckworth much and hated when people yelled at him. What had he done wrong? If he only knew he'd stop. 

"You can't date a mudblood. They're below even your family name, Goyle." Buckworth said Greg's last name as if it was dirty and disgusting. "You may think you can get away with it because you're a great idiot but you can't any more." 

Greg couldn't take it any more. "What? What did I do?" 

"You fraternizing with dirty blood. Pissing on the good name of Slytherin for a dumb bitch who's probably only doing it on a dare." 

"A dare? Who?" Greg asked slowly truly confused. Buckworth shook his head. 

"Chang. That's who I mean." 

"Cho?" 

"Cho." Buckworth repeated mocking his voice high pitched. "Yes, her. You have to stop hanging around her. People are talking." 

"But." Greg said confused. He was in trouble because he was friends with Cho? "She's my friend." He explained. Maybe Buckworth didn't under stand. 

"But she's my friends." Buckworth mocked. "You really are a retard, aren't you, Goyle? She's not your friend. She's using you. People like her aren't friends with people like you. What would your father think?" 

Da? He wouldn't be happy? But.. 

"I...She...She likes me." 

"You don't actually believe that, do you? Girls don't like things like you unless they're fat and ugly. That's probably how you're mum got with you're father. She wants something from you. You'll be better sticking with your house." 

No no no. That wasn't right at all. Buckworth was wrong. Cho wouldn't... 

"Who knows what she wants. Money. To make an old boyfriend jealous. Could be it's all a joke for fun." 

"But..." Greg started. He had to explain. Buckworth didn't know. Cho was one of the nice people. She wasn't doing it to be mean. She would never... 

"But nothing. Greg take it from me." Buckworth eye's turned cold and Greg gulped nervously. Now Buckworth did look somewhat scary. Greg wasn't scared of many things. Ghosts. Wolves. Snakes. The Dark. People did scare him though. Made him nervous. The ones in particular: His mum, the Dark Lord, Draco's dad. Yellers. People who wanted him to do thing for them. It was easy just to go along. If Buckworth said Cho was one of those people, maybe he was right. 

"So, I think it's best if you stayed away from her. Got me?" Inky black cold fingers grabbed into his gut. Greg nodded once then twice feeling faint. Buckworth smiled. 

"Good boy. I'm glad we had this talk. Go back to the common room." Greg nodded dumbly as Buckworth walked off giving a short laugh. 

Instead of doing what Buckworth had said, he sagged against the wall. His chest hurt and he took in huge gasping breaths of air. It was like a huge snake had wrapped around him and was crushing his ribs. It took him a minute to realize he was panicking like he had when his Mum had almost found where he was hiding. He gasped again trying to calm himself. 

What Buckworth had said. How could it be true? Cho was nice...She was a Ravenclaw but.... 

Deep breath 

She was smart...She.... 

He stopped breathing. 

She was nice. She was Ravenclaw. She was smart. Why would she like him for real? No one wanted to be friends with him. He wasn't smart. He wasn't particularly nice. He was a Slytherin and anyone who wasn't a Slytherin hated them. They all thought they were evil. Did Cho think he was evil? Was she really just pretending to be nice? For some weird reason? 

He thought about it his jawbone tightening as he clutched at his robe feeling the heavy book he kept in his pocket. She had giving him the book but.... 

Maybe she really didn't like him. He was big and stupid. He was mean to kids smaller then him sometime. They made him mad sometimes. Most people from other houses didn't like him or even that many from his own. He wasn't smart either. Every one said he was stupid. 

Why she wouldn't like him was easy. Why would she pretend? 

Revenge, pity, for fun, as a prank, as a dare. 

Would she? 

Why not? Why would she actually love someone as big, dumb and ugly as him? 

_Love? Of course she doesn't love you! She doesn't even like you. Why would she? Even I hate you._

He sighed and pulled the book out of his pocket. He stared at the cover lost in thought not bothering to open the cover to read the inscription. He didn't need to. Shaking his head he sighed again then dropped the book to the floor. With out another look he headed off towards his dorm. 

_Idiot!_

****** 

"Greg?" Cho's voice called making Greg stop his trek to the great hall for lunch. Beside him Blaise wrinkled his nose. 

"I'll go before this meeting gets sappy." The red head hurried off before Cho could reach them. Greg had moped all night trying to figure out what he should do before realizing that Buckworth was probably right. He didn't feel good like he was going to throw up even though he wasn't sick. He had a feeling he was making himself hurt because of what Buckworth said. And Buckworth had been right. 

"Wha'?" He grunted not caring enough to even finish the word. 

She flustered at his tone suddenly looking very nervous. He ignored his concern for her. She didn't really like him. 

"Um here." She pulled a book out of her bag and handed it to him. He looked down at it in surprise. It was the copy of The Princess Bride Cho had given him for Christmas that he had dumped in the hall. 

"Where?" 

"I found it in the hallway." She gave him a slightly hurt look. He grunted and stuffed the book into his pocket. 

"That's because that's where I left it." He told her in a gruff voice. If he didn't like her why was it so had to be mean to her? 

"Oh." She said looking confused. "Why?" 

"I was done with it and I'm done." He turned to wards the great hall. "I gotta go." 

"Wait!" She grabbed his arm "Why are you being all mean all of a sudden?" 

"Why are you always bugging me?" He pulled her hands off his robe. She let him the stepped back giving him a hurt confused look. 

"We're friends." 

"Maybe not." He said. 

"But…I thought." She actually stuttered. 

"I wouldn't want to be friends with you. You're a boring little Ravenclaw anyway." 

"How could you say that?" 

This didn't make any sense. If she didn't care about him like Buckworth said why was she so upset? 

"It's just..." he started but she interrupted. 

"Fine then Goyle. Leave me alone if that's what you want. I don't really care." She looked like she cared. "You, you...Slytherin!" She screamed before turning and running off tears in her eyes. There were people in the hall eyeing him a few of the Ravenclaw angrily but he didn't notice. He felt numb. He had hurt her again. He had been wrong. She did care for him. They had been friends and.... 

He had ruined it. 

He was stupid and messed every thing up as usual. 

Tears prickled at the back of his eyes as he stumbled back to his dorm. 

******** 

It was four days later and Greg sat in the common room, still numb. Cho wouldn't talk to him. He had tried once but a Ravenclaw girl from Cho's year had turned him away telling him that Cho never wanted to talk to him again. He could understand that. He was bad. He didn't trust her and he ruined every thing. After that he stopped trying to see her. He avoided the Great Hall until almost every one was gone. He didn't want to look at her to see her glaring at him like she hated him. He couldn't stand the fact she hated him. It made his insides knot up. Instead he would just sit and stare at the book she had given him. Usually the other Slytherins left him alone but this night Pansy stalked up to his chair. 

"What is wrong with you?' Pansy growled at him her eyes flashing evilly. 

Greg sighed not bothering to look up or answer. He didn't fell like talking or pretending he was listening or even nodding. Once Pansey saw that, she would leave him alone like every one else had. 

"I asked you a question Greg." Her voice came low. He didn't bother to shrug. Like everyone else she would leave after no response. 

**'Slap!'**

He looked up surprised. Pansy had returned her hand to her side. You would never have known she had slapped him if his cheek didn't sting. 

"Will you talk to me now?" She asked coldly looking fully prepared to hit him again. He nodded and she sat down in the chair opposite from him. The rest of the common room who had seen and heard the slap was staring at both of them a gap. Not many people would try to hit Greg when he was in a good mood. Of course, not many people were like Pansy. She had spent three years of Hogwarts being called Pug Parkins because she was fat and her nose upturned in a squashed way. Her friends had prompted her to use magical healers to chisel a new face and get rid of the fat. Instead, she spent her third year summer jogging every day and refusing to eat chocolate. 

In fourth year, she decided she wanted to marry Draco and once that happened she never hung out with them as much as before. Mostly because Draco didn't like Pansy that way and would rather hide then listen to her flirt with him. The blonde had made huge elaborate plans to sneak out of the dungeon without her knowing. Dispite that, Pansy got him to ask her to the Yule ball. In the end though, it didn't work out since Draco was now dating Potter and Pansy stopped saying she was going to marry Draco and started flirting with many other boys. All she ever really seemed to expect now was that boys gave her gifts and paid attention to her no matter who that boy was. Greg was surprised he had gotten away with a slap. 

"What is wrong with you?" Pansy hissed again. This time Greg shrugged. "I mean, are you an idiot?" 

"Yes." 

She actually seemed taken aback. "You admit that? Huh?" 

"I am an idiot. Buckworth was right. Why would Cho really want to hang around with me?" 

"Greg...." She started face melting to look sympathetic. He stopped her by shaking his head. He had an urge to cover his ears. He had to be a pathetic idiot for her to care about him. 

"She deserves a better friend. I'm bad. She should have better in every thing. I didn't trust her. I'm not good." He said the last part so venomously the smaller girl looked taken aback. She frowned. 

"Greg listen to me. It's not your fault. Since when could a Slytherin ever trust anyone? If some guy from any house tries to befriend me, I would be suspicious. You weren't." She glowered. "Millicent is right; Buckworth is a dumkopt. He's a bastard and shouldn't have said what he said. But you know what? You were stupid to believe him. You're a Slytherin. Buckworth said you didn't act like one but we're cunning. We don't listen to idiots even if they are from our house. We trust the trustworthy, smart ones. Don't listen to him. He's wrong and you know it now. She cares about you. If you can hurt someone they care about you." 

"Cared." He said sadly. "She don't any more." 

Pansy looked confused. "But just say...sorry. The good ones always like that." 

"No Pans..." 

"Greg," She grabbed his robe a look on her face he didn't understand. "Don't screw up. I don't like bad things despite what every one thinks about me. I don't like seeing people sad. It's easy. Go say sorry." She stood up. "Do it." She shook her head ringlets quivering about her face before turning and heading to the girls dorms. Greg looked down sadly. Pansy was wrong. He couldn't say sorry. It wasn't that easy any more. He might be able to not listen to Buckworth if he tried but he couldn't not listen to Cho. She ordered him to never come near her again. He felt ready to cry almost. He felt like dirt. He was a stupid idiot just like every one said he was. And he missed Cho but this was for the best. 

She never wanted to see him again and he would make sure that happened. 

******** 

Greg walked the halls slowly. It was a free time that was class and meal free. He didn't know where to go or what to do anymore. If he went to his common room Pansy would be there. The library was out of course. He made do with wandering the halls pretending he was one of those people with somewhere to go. 

He didn't have any where to go though. He didn't want to talk to any one but Cho. But now she was gone because he was stupid. Every one had always said he was stupid and he had always thought it. For once though he actually felt deep inside him what a disgusting fool he was. What everyone must see in him. No wonder Buckworth thought Cho didn't like him. He was a stupid unlikable prick. He hadn't deserved Cho and now with her hating him it was just better this way. He only wished he could stop liking her so the pain in his gut would go away. It was bad enough to make him sick. 

He looked up the hall partly full of students and found her. She was right there walking away down the hall. Her hair was the same perfect black, her back turned and her robe swishing behind her. She looked the same but he knew he couldn't go over there to say hi. He had hurt her. He was an idiot who didn't deserve her and she never wanted to see him again. He would never make her mad at him again. He'd do just what she ordered. He ordered his eyes to turn away from her figure. 

Suddenly a black booted foot swept out and Cho tumbled down with a shriek stack of books coming down with her. He felt like running out and catching her but didn't do it. She wouldn't want him near. 

"You should look where you're going girly. It can be dangerous if you don't." Buckworth's sneering voice filtered to Greg's brain. He looked up and watched as the seventh year stood over Cho. The girl glared up at him her books scattered about her. She must have bumped into Buckworth and dropped all her stuff. Greg felt an urge to help her pick up her books. He stopped himself remembering that would make her mad since she didn't like him any more. He just watched her. 

"Why don't you watch who you trip you big bloody idiot." She snapped bending over and grabbing her texts. The group of Slytherins who stayed near Buckworth 'oohed' mockingly except for Vince who just stood dumbly slightly behind the seventh year. Buckworth reddened at the girl's insult the reached down and shoved her, knocking her recently picked up books down again. She let out a cry of surprise then glared up. 

Greg looked around confused. Should he help Cho? If he did that Buckworth would be mad at him right? But he didn't want Cho to get hurt. Maybe someone else would help her. It took a few seconds for Greg to process the people around him. The group behind Buckworth were all Slytherin and were his friend so they wouldn't stop him. Vince wouldn't help either unless Greg asked him and if he did that it would be acting nice to Cho and she would be mad at him. There was three Hufflepuffs watching Buckworth and Cho but they were little and Hufflepuffs didn't stop fights often. Especially between older kids not in their houses. Suddenly Greg brighten slightly. There was Draco! But no. Even though the boy wasn't helping Buckworth be mean too Cho he wasn't helping her out. The blonde kept his eyes averted like he didn't want to watch Buckworth be mean but he didn't want Buckworth to be mean to him. 

Greg snuffled quietly and rubbed his nose. No one was going to help Cho and he wasn't allowed to. Maybe hopefully the Hufflepuffs would go tell a teacher. Hufflepuffs tattled sometimes. He kept his eyes on Buckworth and Cho sadly. 

"Leave me alone you slimy bastard!" Cho called out loudly standing up. Buckworth just grinned. Greg could tell that Cho yelling wouldn't stop Buckworth. He liked hurting smaller people. Buckworth pushed Cho down again. 

"Who's going to make me leave you alone girly? All your friends here?" Buckworth snickered with all the boys behind him with him including Vince. Greg growled under his breath but didn't more to stop Buckworth. The seventh year reached down to grab one of Cho's books. It was the one she had shown him in the library. The one she read when she was little. He held it above Cho's head just out of her reach. "It must suck to be a Ravenclaw." Buckworth said turning to the boys behind him as Cho jumped for the book he held above he. "Their only friends are books. They can't even keep big dumb idiots as friends." 

"Don't call him a big dumb idiot!" Cho growled surprizing Greg. She was sticking up for him? Unless they were talking about someone else. 

Buckworth sneered. "Trust me. Books a much more in-depth then him. Stick to them for friends." He turned. "Hey changy watch me kill your buddy." Buckworth tore out the book's first page with a loud rip sound. 

"Don't!" Cho shouted in protest. Greg rubbed his stomach feeling like he would throw up. Cho sounded like she was about to cry. Buckworth ripped out another page. 

"Hey!" An angry voice called. "Leave her alone!" 

Greg looked to the voice source and smiled slightly. Black hair and a scar and glasses. Potter! He was Gryffindor he was going to help Cho. He walked right over to Buckworth and stared angrily up at him. 

"Sod off!" He glanced down at Cho. "Are you ok?" 

She nodded and began stacking her books. She sadly stuffed the two torn pages in her pocket. Greg breathed slightly better. She looked a bit happier. He was glad someone helped her. Buckworth, though, looked mad. He also didn't look very impressed by Potter. He turned and shoved the Gryffindor back slightly. 

"Hey! If I want to bug the little Ravenclaw mudblood bitch that's my choice, scar boy. Who's gonna stop me? You?" Buckworth gruffed at that and Greg looked carefully. Potter was strong and a nice person but there was a lot of people on Buckworth's side. Six and Buckworth, if Greg counted right. Then Buckworth pulled out his wand and pointed at Potter. Greg knew it would be even harder for Harry to help Cho now. Greg felt sick again. Now Cho and Potter were going to get hurt. 

"How about I just rearrange your face Potter?" 

"Leave him alone, Stanley." A voice snapped. 

Draco had walked over for his place by the wall and stood behind Harry. He didn't look upset and angry like Potter. He didn't look sad and angry like Cho. He looked mad. Mad like the time Greg spilt ink on his transformation essay. Mad like the time his father killed his favorite house elf. He looked so mad that his hand trembled at his sides. Greg watched worried cause even though Draco looked scary Buckworth looked scarier, meaner and bigger. 

"What did you say, Malfoy?" Buckworth looked at Draco confused. He and Draco never really were around each other but they never fought. Draco wasn't in Buckworth gang but never before complained when Buckworth bullied someone. Mostly the two stayed out of each other's way. 

"I said, " Draco snarled, cooly. "Leave. Harry. Alone. Stanley. Buckworth." Since he used a voice Greg would listen to Greg expected Buckworth to back down. Buckworth didn't. He sneered at Draco showing pointy K9s. He didn't seem very scared of Draco with out a wand out. Buckworth chuckled. 

"And why should I listen to a little ferret like you when I can just beat the shit out of you for arguing with me?" Greg wondered if Buckworth would actually try to beat up Draco. His father was pretty powerful and might get mad at the Buckworth family. Draco obviously knew that and he just crossed his arms angry. 

"If you touch me Stanley my father will hear of it! I doubt having the Malfoys mad at your family will do you any good." Draco smirked as if daring Buckworth to hit him. Buckworth nervously lowered his wand. No one really wanted the Malfoy family after them. 

"Good." Draco practically cooed. "Now go away and leave the Ravenclaw and Harry alone." The blonde shot a glance at Potter mentally making sure he was all right and in one piece. Potter smiled thinly at the boy. Buckworth took one step away then swore and pulled out his wand. He pointed it back at Draco with a smirk. 

"Didn't you hear me Buckworth. I said, go away." Draco shouted 

"I heard you but I don't think I'd go running to Daddy if I were you. If you do I just might have to tell him how you're fucking boys. A Gryffindor no less. I'm sure he wouldn't been very pleased at all." 

Draco's eye widened and his face went pink. "W...w...what are you talking about Buckworth?" He gasped out glancing nervously at Potter then the kids watching the commotion. 

Buckworth just grinned and grabbed Draco robe's collar. "You know what I'm talking about fairy boy. Tell on me to your father and I'll tell 'im what a fag you are." He pulled Draco up so that the blonde's feet were a foot above the floor. Draco kicked wildly, hands pulling on Buckworth's hands. One of his feet hit Buckworth's leg and in retalization Buckworth flung Draco backwards. Draco knocked solidly into Potter sending them stumbling away from Buckworth. 

Greg grimaced. Potter and Draco were both seekers and seekers were really small. If Draco couldn't scare Buckworth into leaving Cho alone they could hurt him, too. Cho shrieked as Buckworth grabbed the navy blue book that contained her favorite childhood story. He started tearing pages from it. Draco had pulled Potter back up and the two boys looked ready to try fighting Buckworth again. 

Greg shook his head. Potter and Draco were just little seekers. So was Cho. Compared to how big Buckworth was they were mice and Buckworth was Mrs. Norris. Buckworth also had five guys behind him. If Draco and Potter fought him it would be like...six Mrs. Norris after three mice. Greg looked down at his heavy thick leather shoes. He listened as more pages ripped and Cho started crying. The sound ripped Greg in the chest. Cho was crying. 

Greg looked at Potter and Draco. It wouldn't be fair to make three little seekers fight six Mrs. Norris. Or something like that. He watched as his feet starting walking. When he looked up he was surprised to find himself standing in front of Buckworth. 

Greg furrowed his brow then grabbed the blue book from Buckworth's hands. The little books back cover ripped almost completely off. Greg frowned because he hadn't wanted the book to be harmed any more. At least it was out of Buckworth's hands. He tucked the book under his arm. Now he had to get Buckworth to leave the mice alone. 

"Go away, Buckworth." Was all he could come up with. 

Buckworth didn't look like he thought Greg standing up to him was amusing like he did when the mice did. Instead he looked mad. His face went red. 

"I thought I told you to mind you business Goyle." Buckworth sneered holding his wand out in front of him. 

"Go away, Buckworth." Greg said again hoping the seventh year would listen to him. 

He didn't. Instead Buckworth gave a bark of laughter. Greg just looked ahead used to people laughing at him. Buckworth looked back at him. 

"I overestimated you, you big great stupid oaf. You don't really think you could win any fight you start do you. It's just you, because the crybaby bitch and two poofs don't count. That's one of you six of me. Since your haven't a brain enough to figure it out Goyle that means you lose I win." 

Greg shook his head slightly and looked over Buckworth's shoulder to his cousin. 

"Vince." Greg said. Vince looked up. "Go away." Vince nodded, grunted an affirmative and headed back towards the common rooms. Vince would never lay a fist on Greg and they both knew it. It would be better though if Vince just left. Two of the smaller boys in Buckworth's gang followed after him. Greg looked back at Buckworth proud. Buckworth growled and lowered his wand on Greg's chest. Two more kid hurried into the scene. They weren't there to replace the empty spots in Buckworth's ranks though. They were two Gryffindors, the red haired one and the smart one. Weasley and Granger. Greg nodded. Good. If he didn't win fighting Buckworth, then the mice would have some help. He didn't think he'd lose though. 

"Go away, Buckworth." Greg said slowly. It worked for Vince maybe it would work for Buckworth now that there were fewer people behind him. 

Buckworth didn't leave and his eyes flashed angrily. 

"Your going to be really sorry you did that, Goyle old boy." He vowed 

"Greg get away from him." Cho whispered scared sounding. "He's going to hex you." 

"See, and I wondered why they said Ravenclaws were smart." The blond seventh year said with an evil grin. 

"Kattan, un..." 

Buckworth started a hex that Greg didn't recognize. Cho and Granger seemed to since they gasped in surprise. Greg deciding he didn't want to see what the hex did and grabbed the tip of Buckworth's wand. It stung his palm which is why, Greg supposed, you weren't supposed to touch a wand that wasn't yours during a spell. It hurt. He tightened his grip before Buckworth could finish the spell and bent the wand till it snapped. The spell went pop before it could finish and a cloud of silver smoke rose into the air red ash falling to the floor. Greg tugged on the broken wand until half fell from his hand on to the floor. Buckworth still holding the other half looked at Greg face white. 

"Oops. Looks like I broke you wand." Greg said sheepishly before punching Buckworth as hard as he could. Buckworth actually flew back a few feet before hitting his gang and all four of them going down. The three who hadn't been hit by Greg got up quickly and ran away very, very, very fast. Buckworth didn't get up. 

There was a brief silence in the hall as Greg and everyone else present examined the damage. 

"He's dead. He killed him!" One Hufflepuff cried. The second stared fearfully at Greg. The third started down the hall. 

"I'm getting a teacher!" She called running. The other two followed after. 

Greg frowned again. He was probably going to get in trouble. Big trouble. You weren't supposed to snap people's wands. He could be expelled because a lot of people had seen him do it. He heard a peep from behind him and smiled remembering why he had broken Buckworth's wand. It was worth it he decided. He turned around but didn't look into Cho face and just stared at her shoes. He thrust the book at her. 

"Here." He mumbled. 

"Oh, Greg." She murmured taking it her voice shivery and meek. He shot his head up aghast. Was she going to cry because he had ripped her book? Her eyes were tear filled that threatened to spill. 

"Oh, Greg." She said again. 

Oh no, he thought sure she was mad at him for coming near her. She told him to stay away from him. A heavy stone seemed to form in his chest ripping down through his flesh. He felt like he was going to throw up again. 

That is until she rushed at him and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her lips firmly on his. That surprised him. He fell back suddenly out of shock landing heavily on his rear. Cho took her arms from around his neck and clutched her book to her chest. She sat on his lap for a second before kissing him again. She smiled her face breaking a glow eyes sparkling losing the tears. 

"Thank you." For once staring him straight in the eyes face clear of a blush. 

"Uh..." 

He grabbed her hands and as usual looked at how dwarfed they were in his huge ones. He looked up shyly at the audience he and Cho had acquired. Potter looked surprised Draco amused and the two other Gryffindors looked aghast. Then he smiled and kissed her back as gently as he could on her cheek. 

"You're welcome." He said. That's when Professor McGonagall swooped down with Sprout ordering the head of Hufflepuff head to take Buckworth to the infirmary. She was taking Greg to the head master's office. 

And even Greg knew that couldn't be good. 

******* 

Greg had never been in Dumbledore's office before. Any bad thing he had done was usually disciplined by the teacher who saw him do it. It was a weird office. McGonagall had gone up to a gargoyle and whispered a password to it. The thing swung aside giving them access to a huge staircase moving upwards. At the top was a chair which Greg was shoved onto and told not to move from as McGonagall went to tell Dumbledore about everything. Greg let out a sigh. He had been sitting on the chair for what seemed like hours and hours. He had watched Snape enter the office the three Hufflepuffs and Madam Pomfrey. 

He clutched his book between his hands, stone again paining him under the chest. He was glad he had put it in his pocket before leaving his dorm; it gave him some reassurance. Still what good could it do? If he was expelled he would have to live with his mother all the time. He'd probably never see Cho again. What if he really did kill Buckworth? They would send him to Askaban, right? Or have a dementor kiss him? Greg shuddered. 

Then he remembered Buckworth making Cho cry. He stopped shuddering. Whatever happened he had helped her. That's was all that was important. 

"Greg?" He looked up. Cho had just come up the staircase with a watery smile. She was being escorted by McGonagall which Greg had missed going past to get Cho. Cho pulled away from the professor to hug Greg. 

"Don't worry. I'll tell them every thing. You can't get in trouble. You can't." She muttered in his ear. He wasn't sure if he believed her so instead just hugged her back. He was about to tell her he didn't care what happened as long as she was ok when McGonagall pulled Cho into Dumbledore's office leaving Greg alone. 

He didn't have time to wonder if it would work when Potter came bounding up the moving stairs not waiting for them to move him. He skidded to a halt in front of Greg. 

"Hey, Goyle. I came as quick as I could. The rumors are already going around about what happened. What Buckworth is saying doesn't sound like what I saw. He was picking on Cho, not the two of you on him, right?" Potter let out quickly leaning on a wall looking out of breath. 

Greg nodded, not saying anything. 

"Madam Pomfrey is bringing him up here and he's saying all this stuff and he's got all those goony guys backing him up." 

"Oh." Was all Greg could say. The teachers would believe Cho and Potter though, right? Maybe not. 

"Did Draco come up here? He was really freaked about what Buckworth found out about...you know...and I lost him when Hermione and Ron started to talk to me. Hermione's getting Ron to come up and tell what they saw too." Potter shook his head running a hand through his hair. "But Draco, I can't find him." 

Greg shrugged. "Haven't seen him." 

"Oh." Potter said leaning against the wall in thought. "Well, he'll come sooner or later though. Hermione and Ron will be here after they tell Tawney why me and Ron will be late. Too bad they didn't see much. I didn't either but Draco saw it all, I think. He was there longer." 

Greg nodded. Potter stopped talking with a weird face and leaned against the wall watching the staircase expectantly. When the next person to come up was Vince the Gryffindor seemed to deflate. 

"Hey, Greg." Vince said slowly giving Potter a curious look, walking over to Greg. He sat on the floor by Greg's chair giving the sad smile that he could do so well. 

"I talked to Draco." Vince stopped, then shook his head. "No, he talked to me." Greg saw Potter look over interested trying to pretend he wasn't. "It was about you so I'm here." 

Vince shifted uncomfortable. Vince always had to be a bearer of bad news and he hated it. He shifted and mumbled trying to avoid what he had to do. Greg recognized the moves. His cousin would take a few minutes to weigh the matter over in his head before coming out and saying it trying for the softest way. Greg was used to it but Potter looked impatient. 

"Uh, huh." Greg said in a prompt. 

"He said sorry." Greg nodded. He had expected since Buckworth knew something he shouldn't Draco wouldn't want to be near Buckworth anymore. "He also said he felt bad but he can't let his father find out. He can't help." 

Greg nodded again even though he was surprised Draco gave a reason. He didn't usually for anything he did. Greg didn't care though. Draco seemed happy. He didn't need his father to know about Potter. The man might kill either of them. Draco's dad wasn't nice. Besides. Potter couldn't be that bad of a person. Draco liked him and he tried to help Cho. It wouldn't be nice for him. 

"He's not coming." Vince finished up. 

Greg was about to nod but was interrupted by Potter going red faced and yelling, "He said what!?" 

"He said sorry and..." Vince began to be cut off by Potter. 

"I heard. Excuse me." Potter pushed past and went down the stairs. 

Vince looked at Greg. "Potter's weird." 

"Yeah." 

"Do you want me to stay?" Vince asked slowly. Greg shook his head. 

"Na. If Buckworth doesn't get in trouble he might do something to ya. Besides he's already mad about you leaving." Vince nodded. 

"Anything I can do to help?" Greg thought for a moment then nodded. 

"Yeah. Tell Pansy I fixed it and Cho kissed me." At Vince's odd look he added. "She'd want to know." 

"Kay." Vince shrugged. "Bye." Vince gave a slow wave and a sad smile before he turned towards the stairs. Greg mimicked the motion with a sigh. 

Madam Pomfrey came up the stairs Buckworth beside her. He was glowering a bruise already starting on his face. He looked at Greg and gave him a triumphant smile making Greg balk at the idea of going into the office. Not that he had a choice. A few minutes after Buckworth entered Madam Pomfrey came out and informed him that he was to go in now. With a resounding sigh, he did. 

******** 

"Anyway," Buckworth droned on. "I was just trying to defend myself from him. I didn't know he was so obsessive." 

The meeting wasn't going as well as Cho said it would. She had told her side, of course, the truth to the tee (Though Greg thought she pumped up how heroic he was just a tad. Not that he minded. Cho thought he was a hero) except kindly glossing over the larger points of Draco and Buckworth's conversation and skipping the kiss at the end part. The problem was that Buckworth had a totally different story that made Greg sound like an attacker. His version was almost the same except in it he and Cho just argued she tripped and fell bringing Potter over to help her. Then Greg came and snapped Buckworth's wand in half when Buckworth was trying to cast a calming spell in defense. 

"That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard." Cho yelled. She pulled out her ripped book. "Look what he did." 

Buckworth glared at the book like it was his enemy. "It was an ac-ci-dent." The boy ground out like Cho was stupid. Greg frowned, annoyed. "It must have torn when she fell." 

"What!?" 

"Prove it didn't." 

Greg couldn't even give a better version of events. His agreed with Cho except he didn't mention either Potter or Draco. He was having trouble remembering what should be a secret and what had really happened. He knew the incident hadn't been Cho's fault but maybe it had been his. Maybe he didn't have to snap Buckworth's wand. Because of the inconsistency of his story and Cho's Buckworth claimed Cho was just sticking up for Greg because they were dating. His friends had come up to the meeting agreeing intierly with Buckworth point of view. That's when Cho pointed out that Buckworth had had time to work out a decent sounding story. 

"I can't believe you accuse me of lying Chang." Buckworth said looking greatly wounded. "I came out the worst in that encounter what with my wand snapped and my jaw broken. I just want justice and what's fair and all. We should be working together." He sent a smile to Cho that made Greg's hands tighten to fist. He wondered how bad in would be if he punched Buckworth again. Luckily Cho snarling at Buckworth stopped him. 

"Ugh, you really are a horrible slimy thing, aren't you?" 

Buckworth shrugged. "I was just trying to help you save face when it all comes out." 

"I'm not lying" Cho protested turning to the professors. "He is." 

"I am not!" 

"Children." Snape snarled. "This seems to only go in circles. Perhaps Weasley and Granger can make themselves useful and tell us what they saw." The two Gryffindors who had been ordered in the office once Buckworth friends were shown out nodded. 

"Well," Granger started looking over at Greg. He looked down at his shoes embarrassed. "We didn't see the start of the fight." She looked over at Weasley and he nodded. "Harry was on the floor and so was Malfoy and I...well we figured they were fighting again." 

Weasley glowered. "The dirty ferret probably started this whole thing. He's not even brave enough to tell what happened" Greg made a fist at his side. The Weasel shouldn't be saying stuff like that. Besides Potter wasn't here either. 

"Ron!" Granger hit the red head's shoulder with a tiny fist. "That has nothing to do with what's going on here." Weasley rubbed his shoulder 

"I'm sure they're both at fault is all." Ron sniffed indignantly. 

"Oh, you be quiet!" Cho snapped giving Weasley a dark glare. The Gryffindor looked surprised at her anger. "You aren't helping either side. You weren't even there for the whole thing. What do you know? Nothing! Yet you're still talking!" She turned to the professors. "It happened just like I said. Buckworth started it. He never liked me much and he just jumped at the chance to get me..." 

Here Buckworth let out a snort of contempt and crossed his arms. 

A glare from Cho. 

"I mean, there weren't many people around and all. He probably harasses people for fun." It was almost funny because that was true. Greg didn't speak up though. A dark look crossed Cho's eyes. "He knocked me down a few times and when Harry and Malfoy came over he knocked them down too. I'm not sure why Malfoy was helping," She shrugged and looked at Weasley who still looked somewhat pouty from when she snapped at him. "Then Greg came over and told him to knock it off. He didn't. He even pulled his wand out. Right Greg?" 

She looked at him and he looked back startled. Finally he nodded slowly. McGonagall raised a suspicious eyebrow making Greg believe she thought he was lying too. Buckworth just snorted again. 

"Oh, come now Cho, haven't you given up that lie yet?" Buckworth gave a bright smile to the professors as he again started into his version of events. "The Ravenclaw told him to cease and desist least he be cursed but he didn't listen. Halfway through my calming spell the dumb Stupid ox reached out and snapped my wand." He made a sick face when he reminded the professors of that for the umpteenth time his wand had been snapped. Greg could really get in trouble for snapping the boy wand for no reason. Unless it wasn't for no reason. Had it been for no reason? He wasn't sure. 

"The proof to my story besides my friends testimony is that Goyle's story doesn't match Cho's" Greg looked up from his deeply troubled thoughts when Buckworth mentioned his name. "He's not lying like Cho. Slytherins have integrity, unlike Ravenclaws. He's not about to lie about this is he?" Buckworth shot a murderous glare towards Greg. The large boy stared back at the blue eyes starting to feel nervous. Cho could get in trouble and Greg wasn't supposed to lie. Was he lying? Did he do the wrong thing? No he helped Cho. Buckworth deserved that and Greg would protect Cho from Buckworth even if something bad would happen to him. 

"Well, you're right on the integrity of Slytherins Stanley at least for the most part." A bright voice piped up. Greg looked over to the doorway surprised not only to see Blaise and Potter but Draco held between them. Greg felt his worry rise. He didn't want Draco to get in trouble with his father. He didn't want anymore trouble for Cho or Draco or even Potter. Why couldn't every one leave well enough alone? 

"How did you three get in here?" McGonagall asked sharply. "This is a private meeting." 

"Sprout let..." Blaise started 

"Professor Sprout." McGonagall corrected sharply. 

"Er...right. Professor Sprout let us in." Blaise jerked a thumb over his shoulder to the door. "Potter and Draco want to speak on Greg's behalf." 

"You do?" Weasley asked looking at Potter. "Why?" 

"Well, because I was there Ron." Harry said raising an eyebrow. "It's the right thing and all." 

"Mr. Zambini." Dumbledore spoke finally turning to the darker redhead. "Were you also present at the incident?" 

Blaise shook his head. "No. I just helped Potter remind Draco of the true friends thing the sorting hat is always going on about. Since Buckworth keeps bringing up house traits and the like." He gave Buckworth a dirty glance "Plus, I thought I'd act as a character reference by saying Buckworth would be just the type of person to knock down a girl who's smaller then him." 

"Careful with your words Zambini." Buckworth warned in a low voice. Blaise's eyes narrowed. 

"Why? Are you going to try black mailing me too? My parents could care less what I do at school, you have nothing on me and I assure you I'm not afraid of a dumb arsed orangutan like you." 

"Little Prick." Buckworth glared at Blaise. 

"Neanderthal." 

"You lit..." Buckworth's retort was cut off as McGonagall stepped between them. 

"Mr. Buckworth, please contain your self. Mr. Zambini," She turned a cool gaze to the redhead. "If you wish to stay at these proceedings, I ask you to please not create more scenes." 

"Yes, ma'am." He said, ducking his head with a nod then stepping back to lean on a wall. 

"Professors." Buckworth said smoothly clam back on his face again. "I would like to add something. These two," He pointed at Draco and Potter coolness slipping as he wrinkled his nose in disgust. "were not present for the whole incident and wouldn't have seen how Goyle and Chang started the whole thing. Also they are both biased against me and it...." 

"Harry's not biased against you." Granger interrupted said giving Buckworth a weary look. "You're both Slytherin, you and Goyle, that's about the same." 

Buckworth snorted. "He's Malfoy's little goon and Potter is Draco's little fu..." 

Potter stepped up to the large Slytherin and glared his green eyes going cold anger making his cheeks red. "I wouldn't finish that sentence Buckworth." He said quietly as if daring Buckworth to continue. 

"I'm sure Lucius would love to know what his son is up to at school." A cold malicious smile formed on the Slytherin's face. Draco looked down colour leaving his face. 

"I'm sure the elder Malfoy won't listen to any old idiot expelled from Hogwarts." Blaise said smirk in place. A relived look hit Draco and he smiled slightly. Buckworth turned an ugly purple stepping away from Potter and turning to Blaise. 

"I'm not going to be expelled. No matter how much you all lie. I am in the right. I didn't start this whole problem Golye did." 

"Like the fuck he did!" Cho blazed making Goyle hunch up his shoulders. Even if she wasn't screaming at him she was kinda scary. She did look cute when she was mad though. 

"Language, Miss Chang." Snape scolded. 

"You can't blame this on someone else this time, Stanley." Blaise said coldly. Draco's smirk became a full-fledged one. 

"Don't make me punch that smirk off you face queer." Buckworth snarled ignoring Blaise noticing Draco. Draco glared red spots appearing on his cheeks. 

"Hey!" Potter snapped shoving Buckworth. Draco reached forward and pulled the Gryffindor back before Buckworth could hurt him. 

"Go fuck yourself, Buckworth." The blonde hissed. 

"Not like anyone else would." Potter added. Draco turned to the boy and smiled at him sweetly. Buckworth moved towards them murder in his eyes. 

"Language!" McGonagall said aghast. 

"You're gonna wish you never said that." Buckworth swore. 

"You are going to be expelled." Cho said bringing the Slytherin's attention back to her. "There's nothing you can say to make you innocent." 

"Harry, we could have gotten both of them expelled. Malfoy, too." Weasley said. 

"Ron..." Granger started... 

"Fuck you, Weasley." Draco snarled. 

"Draco!" Potter glared at the blonde. 

"Bitch." Buckworth to Cho. 

"Harry!" Weasley to Potter. 

"Bastard!" Cho to Buckworth. 

"Stop all the screaming all of you!" McGonagall screaming. 

"Silence!" Snape. 

"Goyle broke my wand with no reason! Expel him!" Buckworth to whomever would listen pointing to Greg. 

"He did not!" 

"Yes he did!" 

"Probably." Weasley added. 

Greg looked at Dumbledore expecting him to say something to stop the shouting but he didn't. He just seemed to be studying everyone intently even the professors. He caught Greg looking at him and the old man gave him a smile. Greg turned away startled and went back to watching the chaos. He didn't like it. 

"Did not!" 

"Yes, he fucking did!" 

"Language!" 

"STOP IT!" Greg yelled suddenly. All the kids present jumped while the professors (Minus Dumbledore) look at him in surprise. "I did. I snapped Buckworth's wand then punched him. I did! Just stop yelling." There was a moment's silence before the yelling started again. 

"See." Buckworth said looking like a very upset horse. "The huge oaf even admits to having attacked me. He should be expelled and sent to Azkaban." 

"That's not fair!" Cho cried, "You started it." 

"Yeah!" 

"Doesn't matter. The big freaking giant broke my jaw. I didn't do anything that bad." 

"I disagree." Blaise said eyes flashing angrily 

"Who cares?" Buckworth. 

"Buckworth was going to use a dark curse on Goyle." Granger said speaking loudly making the group turn towards her. Cho nodded her black hair bouncing eyes widening as if pieces suddenly fit into place. 

"That's right! I knew that spell sounded familiar!" Cho shouted. "Katigins. I heard the first part of it." 

"What's Katingis?" Weasley asked. Greg shrugged, even if the question wasn't for him. 

"It's a form of a blasting spell. It's mostly used in demolition or destroying physical protective spells. The differences is that it has a heat source. It scorches and burns." Granger answered. 

"It's also illegal to use on another human." Snape said sending a glare towards Buckworth. 

"This is a very serious charge against you, Stanley Buckworth." Dumbledore said gravely. "One that can lead to expulsion. What do you say in defense of yourself?" 

"I didn't do anything wrong." The boy growled. "I was mearly trying to put a body bind on a psycho attacker. I wasn't doing a Katingis." 

"There isn't any other spell you could have said that started that way. If you had succeeded you could have killed Goyle." Granger said with a large frown. Cho went slightly green but Greg just blinked. He hadn't gotten killed so he didn't really see the problem. Buckworth shot a poisonous glare at Granger. 

"You better watch yourself mudblood." 

The witch went red in the face but it was Weasley who lunged at Buckworth. He would have gotten his hands around his neck if Potter and Draco who was standing near by hadn't grabbed his arms. 

"Watch your language, Mr. Buckworth!" McGonagall snapped. 

"I'll kill you!" Weasley swore trying to pull his arms away from the two other boys. Buckworth took a step back going very pale. 

"Get a grip, Weasel." Draco sneered struggling with Potter so the redhead didn't touch Buckworth. Weasley ripped his arm out of Draco's grip. 

"Don't touch me, Malfoy." He snarled keeping his glare on Buckworth. Draco shrugged dropping his arms to his sides. Potter shot him a small grin, which Greg saw before Dumbledore cleared his throat and Greg snapped his attention back. 

"Greg?" Blaise said looking over at Greg as soon as the spectacle calmed down. "Did you hear the spell Buckworth was using?" 

"Um..." The Company looked at Greg then at Blaise. 

"Why would..." 

"Who cares?" Buckworth snapped at Blaise. "I told you they're both lying and you can't prove it." 

"I probably can." Blaise sneered back he looked over at Greg amusement glimmering in his eye. "Do you remember what Buckworth said or at least what it sounded like?" 

"Er..." Greg stammered not liking how everyone was staring at him. Cho nodded her head and smiled at him. He breathed easier. "I guess I can." 

"What was it?" Granger asked seeming to understand what Blaise was getting at. 

"Sounded like I donno Kratan Kattan or something like it." 

"And that," Draco said almost grinning. "Kattan would be how a Katingis spell starts." He made a face toward Buckworth. 

"Faggot." Buckworth hissed towards Draco. Greg frowned wanting to puch the boy. Out of the pair of male Gryffindors it looked this time that Potter was about to attack Buckworth. Draco noticing quickly grabbed Potter's hand sending the black haired teen a smile to calm him down. No one stopped McGonagall from turning burning eyes toward Buckworth as though he was a decomposing pile of trash that had no business in the room. 

"Buckworth." She said tightly skipping the Mr. formality completely. "If you do not keep these obscenities to yourself you shall be removed from this room not having a chance to defend yourself." 

Buckworth glowered not bothering to say sorry. "Defend myself? I was the one attacked. The fact that idiot can mumble the beginning of some stupid spell proves nothing." 

"Actually." Cho started pulling her self up tall crossing her arms. "It does. I get the point Zambini was trying to make." She smiled at Greg's red headed dormmate. "Katingis is a extremely obscure spell. I'm surprised Malfoy recognizes it. I only recognized it because my Uncle happened to be licesend to use it. Greg, I'm sorry to say this,." She sent and apologetic look to him. He shrugged not caring what she was about to say about him. "would never know it." 

"Interesting point, Miss Chang." Dumbledore said eyebrow quirked. He turned to Buckworth. "Mr. Buckworth, do you have a rebuttal to that?" 

Buckworth stared jaw opening and closing. Cho smirked evilly laying her head on Greg's shoulder and sticking her tongue out at Buckworth. "Not bad for a little Ravenclaw bitch, huh?" 

Buckworth growled but still didn't reply. Dumbledore smiled thinly blue eyes looking faintly amused. "Very well, Mr. Buckworth." The headmaster turned to the rest of the students. "I thank you Mr.'s Weasley, Malfoy, Potter, Goyle and Miss Granger and Chang." He nodded to Cho at her name. "I believe that is all you five will be needed for. Feel free to return to your classes or relax until your next one. I will have to talk to a few of you again about your response to the situation but the guilt seems rightly placed." He turned back to Buckworth. "The professors and I must discuss the repercussions to Mr. Buckworth's actions in private." 

Potter nodded then headed out the door dragging Draco with him. Weasley and Granger followed and Cho and Greg followed them. Once they had all slipped out and the door was closed Weasley snickered. 

"That was great. Did you see his face?" 

"Yeah." Potter said grinning first at Weasley then at Draco. 

Cho wrapped her arms around Greg's waist and snuggled up to him. He smiled feeling very warm. 

"I'm sorry I had to say that about you." 

"Don't care." He said laying the side of his face against her soft hair smiling. When he felt everyone's eyes on him he pulled away blushing. 

"Awww." Potter said with a light smile his voice kind and not mocking. Draco rolled his eyes. Blaise just shrugged uninterested. 

"How long have you two been..." Granger asked, cocking her head. 

"Long enough." Blaise said with a mock yawn. 

"Yes and you don't want to hear the story Granger. It's long and sappy." Draco said scathingly. 

Weasley turned to the blonde quickly thinking Draco had insulted Granger. 

"Don't..." He stopped staring at Potter and Malfoy. 

"I'm still cur..." Granger started before Weasley cut her off with a yell. 

"Ok ok ok!" Weasley said suddenly his face going red. "Cho likes Goyle for some freaky unknown reason. Fine but what I really want to know is why Harry is holding Malfoy's hand?" The two Gryffindors turned to Potter and Draco who hadn't seemed to realize they were still holding hands. Both realized it now and looked surprised and nervously at Granger and Weasley. Greg wondered if he should go over and help defend his friend like Draco had just done for him. Before he could though Cho grabbed his arm and gave him a small tug towards the door. 

"Let them sort them selves out Greg. We have to celebrate your so to speak freedom. Let's go the library. There're so many book you haven't had the pleasure of meeting." Cho smiled at him ink black eyes sparkling. Well reading did sound nicer then staying here especially since it was Cho reading. 

"Er...ok." 

"Great." She tugged his arm pulling them out of the waiting room down the stairs past the gargoyle. "There so much to choose from Tolkien. C.S. Lewis. Linny Seedweather. H.G. Wells. Uric the Oddball, All good." 

By now Greg couldn't hear the row going on and they were out in the school corridor. He looked down at the girl intent on listing authors with a queer smile on his face. She looked up and grinned. 

"Which sounds better," She asked twitching her nose "a story of a secret land found in the back of a wardrobe or a little furry guy going off to slay a dragon with some Dwarfs and a wizard?" 

"Whatever you think is good." 

"No, you pick. You can make decisions for yourself." 

Greg blinked at that. He could do that couldn't he? He could choose any thing he wanted. He chose at that moment to shake off Cho's death grip on his arm. She was gazing at him as if what she just said was the most important thing he could learn. Maybe it was but he shouldn't have to loose an arm for it. He grabbed her hand instead and swung their arms a bit. 

"Then let's read the one with the dragon." He looked at her wondering if that was ok. 

"Ahh, Tolkien. Middle earth. Hobbits. Excellent choice." 

Good, then. Maybe making choices wouldn't be all that hard. Even he could do that. 

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And they lived happily ever after... 

That is however until Greg's father died; And Cho's relatives forbade her to date a Slytherin; And Buckworth told Lucius about Potter and Lucius believed him; And Voldemort attacked Hogwarts and held it under siege. 

_And the night behind them was filled with the crescendoing sound of pursuit….._

******* 

AN/ Yes more notes! I figured it would be kind if I explained the last part if you didn't get it. The second to last paragraph is a parody of the end of The Princess Bride which goes (and I qoute) 

"However,this was before Inigo's wound reopened; and Westly relapsed again; and Fezzik took the wrong turn; and Buttercup's horse threw a shoe. And the night behind them was filled with the crescendoing sound of pursuit…." 

I think every thing eles in the story is rather self explaintry. Right? If not speak up. 

So please, if you liked the fic leave a review. I spent awhile on this fic and would like some response. All you hafta do is click the wee lil button below. ^_^ 

And if you are just going to flame the couplings I can safey say ahead of time: Bite me. 

Toodles, 

The Goggled Monkey 


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